How Long Does Heatburn Last, Symptoms, and Treatment

Heartburn is one of the most common discomforts that almost everyone experiences now and then. However, it can be sometimes hard to distinguish it from a heart attack since their symptoms may feel the same. So what is heartburn and how long does heartburn last?

What is heartburn

This is a feeling of burning or pain that often starts in the abdomen under the lower breastbone and may spread into the throat. When it spreads to the mouth, you may feel a sour taste in your mouth. Heartburn is sometimes referred to as pyrosis, indigestion, sour stomach or acid regurgitation. It is usually worse after having a meal and can be made worse if you lie down or bend over. However, if you stand up or sit it often gets better. It occurs more frequent in adults than children mostly pregnant women who may have it every day. Mild heartburn occurs about once a month while moderate ones occur about once a week.

What causes heartburn?

Heartburn occurs when stomach juices and food goes back up into the tube that leads from your throat to the stomach. Some of the most common causes of these include:

-Stress which decreases the amount of acid that your stomach produces therefore causing your stomach to empty slowly.

-Pressure on the stomach due to obesity, pregnancy, or tight clothes.

-When a small portion of the stomach pushes upward through the diaphragm.

-Some drugs such as aspirin, sleeping pills, ibuprofen, and prednisone.

Symptoms of heartburn

Heartburn may lead to problems with nausea, bloating, burping, and swallowing. It may also result to asthma, wheezing, chocking episodes, or sleep problems in some people. However, these symptoms can last up to 2 hours or even longer. Severe heartburn can cause problems such as bleeding, weight loss and having trouble swallowing. If you notice symptoms of hoarseness, wheezing, bad breathe, tightness in the throat, abdominal pain or vomiting, the heartburn may have been caused by a more serious problem. Therefore, you should always be very careful with the symptoms as they can sometimes mean a more serious problem.

How to cure heartburn?

Treatment for heartburn normally depends on its severity and the symptoms that it may display. The treatment that you get acts by relieving the from a mild heartburn to a moderate one. Now that you know how long heartburn last, it is advisable for you to see a doctor in case it lasts longer and home treatment doesn’t relieve your symptoms.