Heartburn

Introduction: Heartburn

The term "heartburn" refers to the pain in the esophagus or chest that occurs when stomach acid is refluxed up into the throat (see reflux). The medical term for heartburn is "reflux esophagitis". Occasional heartburn is common and not necessarily serious. Chronic heartburn is indicative of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). In severe cases, the refluxed acid goes all the way up into the mouth and is tasted, and can cause Barrett's esophagitis. See also discussions of reflux, indigestion, and GERD.

Heartburn is a common misdiagnosis of heart attack, and other causes of chest pain should also be considered (e.g. heart attack, angina, GERD, gastric reflux, other causes of chest pain). Seek urgent medical attention for chest pain because of the possibility of serious causes of chest pain other than heartburn.

Symptoms of Heartburn

• Stomach discomfort
• Chest pain
• Throat pain
• Reflux
• Chest pain at the breastbone

See full list of 7 symptoms of Heartburn

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Heartburn:

• High Blood Pressure: Home Testing
  • Home Blood Pressure Tests
  • Home Blood Pressure Monitors
  • Home Heart Tests
• Heart Health: Home Testing:
  • Heart Rate Monitors
  • Irregular Heartbeat Detection
  • Heart Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Home Cholesterol Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Heartburn

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Heartburn?

• Misdiagnosis of Heartburn
• Failure to diagnose Heartburn
• Underlying causes of Heartburn (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Failure to diagnose Heartburn

Misdiagnosis and Heartburn

Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss, there are varying degrees of severity. It is altogether too common for people to die from undiagnosed...read more »

Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are also many cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but actually have something milder. Some of the...read more »

Chronic digestive conditions often misdiagnosed: When diagnosing chronic symptoms of the digestive tract, there are a variety of conditions that...read more »

Rare heart condition often undiagnosed: The rare heart condition called long QT syndrome can lead to episodes of palpitations and rapid heartbeat. In rare cases, this...read more »

Intestinal bacteria disorder may be hidden cause: One of the lesser known causes of diarrhea is an imbalance of bacterial in the gut, sometimes...read more »

Antibiotics often causes diarrhea: The use of antibiotics are very likely to cause some level of diarrhea in patients. The reason is that antibiotics kill off not only "bad" bacteria, but can also kill the "good" bacteria in the gut. This...read more »

Heart attack can be over-diagnosed: Although heart attack is often undiagnosed, leading to fatality, it can also be over-diagnosed. People become concerned that a condition is a heart...read more »

Food poisoning may actually be an infectious disease: Many people who come down with "stomach symptoms" like diarrhea assume that it's "something I ate" (i.e. food poisoning). In fact, it's more...read more »

Mesenteric adenitis misdiagnosed as appendicitis in children: Because appendicitis is one of the more feared conditions for a child with abdominal pain, it can be...read more »

Blood pressure cuffs misdiagnose hypertension in children: One known misdiagnosis issue with hyperension, arises in relation to the simple equipment used to test blood pressure....read more »

Celiac disease often fails to be diagnosed cause of chronic digestive symptoms: One of the most common chronic digestive conditions is celiac disease, a malabsorption disorder with a variety of...read more »

Hypertension misdiagnosis common in children: Hypertension is often misdiagnosed in adults (see misdiagnosis of hypertension), but its misdiagnosis is even more likely in children. Some of the ...read more »

Chronic digestive diseases hard to diagnose: There is an inherent difficulty in diagnosing the various types of chronic digestive diseases. Some of the better known possibilities are ...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Heartburn

Causes of Heartburn

• Reflux
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
• Hiatal hernia
• Weak esophageal muscles
• Acid regurgitation

See full list of 11 causes of Heartburn

More information about causes of Heartburn:

• Triggers for Heartburn
• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Heartburn (352 listings)
• Drug interactions causing Heartburn (38 listings)
• Underlying causes of Heartburn
• Heartburn as a complication caused by other conditions
• Heartburn as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Heartburn

Treatments for Heartburn

• Antacids
• Coping measures
  • Smaller more frequent meals
  • Eat slowing
  • Sleep with head raised - e.g. elevated your bed at one end or use more pillows

See full list of 18 treatments for Heartburn

Videos for Heartburn

Patient Surveys for Heartburn

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about the symptoms of your Heartburn
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Reseach about Heartburn

Visit our research pages for current research about Heartburn treatments.

Clinical Trials for Heartburn

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Heartburn include:

• Efficacy/Safety of Lansoprazole in Patients With Frequent Heartburn - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Lanzoprazole
• Efficacy/Safety of Lansoprazole in Patients With Frequent Heartburn - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Lansoprazole
• A Study of the Safety of Rabeprazole Administered to Adults With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - rabeprazole sodium
• A Study of Efficacy and Safety of "on-Demand" Maintenance Therapy With Rabeprazole in Patients With Non-Erosive Reflux Disease (NERD) - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - rabeprazole
• Safety and Efficacy Study of Axid Use in Infants Suffering From GERD - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - nizatidine (Axid)

See full list of 24 Clinical Trials for Heartburn

Prevention of Heartburn

Prevention information for Heartburn has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Heartburn.

• Avoid smoking - a common myth is that smoking prevents heartburn when it actually contributes.
• Avoid overeating
• Avoid certain foods
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid coffee

Read more about prevention of Heartburn

Statistics for Heartburn

• Medical statistics for Heartburn
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Heartburn
• Death and Mortality statistics for Heartburn
• Society statistics for Heartburn

Medical Guidebooks and Ebooks for Heartburn

• Icon Health Sourcebook for Heartburn

See all guides and ebooks for Heartburn

Stories from Users Related to Heartburn

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Heartburn, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Heartburn

Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): NIDDK (Excerpt)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly, and stomach contents splash back, or reflux, into the esophagus. The LES is a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that acts like a camera shutter between the esophagus and stomach. The esophagus carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

When refluxed stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus, it causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat called heartburn. The fluid may even be tasted in the back of the mouth, and this is called acid indigestion. Occasional heartburn is common but does not necessarily mean one has GERD. Heartburn that occurs more than twice a week may be considered GERD, which can eventually lead to more serious health problems. (Source: excerpt from Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): NIDDK)

Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): NIDDK (Excerpt)

Heartburn, also called acid indigestion, is the most common symptom of GERD. Anyone experiencing heartburn twice a week or more may have GERD. (Source: excerpt from Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): NIDDK)

Definitions of Heartburn:

A painful burning sensation in the chest caused by gastroesophageal reflux (backflow from the stomach irritating the esophagus); symptomatic of an ulcer or a diaphragmatic hernia or other disorder - (Source - WordNet 2.1)