What Is Heartburn? I found out.

Heartburn was just a word I heard until I was pregnant with my daughter. It felt like an emerging cold virus that was starting in my throat. I figured going to bed would make whatever it was go away, but the pain persisted all night and into the day. Scared, I called my mother and described my symptoms to her. That’s when she said it sounded like heartburn. Heartburn? What Is Heartburn? I wasn’t having trouble with my heart. Mom directed me toward some antacids and told me to see if they helped. Just like a nice epidural, suddenly the pain was gone as if it had never been there. Still the question lingered, what Is Heartburn?

Heartburn is a painful backflow from the stomach that inflames or burns the esophagus. Its lovely title is misleading because it really has nothing to do with the heart at all. It is a digestive problem.

There are two types of heart burn which are mild and chronic. At the time, my heartburn did not feel like it was mild, but it was considered a mild case because I only had it once or twice. Thus it was more painful than dangerous. However chronic heartburn, if left untreated can cause serious complications. It is best to let your Doctor know if heartburn is becoming part of your daily or weekly routine.

In addition to heartburn putting my throat and stomach on the barbecue, it served up sour aftertaste for dessert. Why would my stomach decide to send my food up instead of down? This sounds like a huge delivery service mistake to me. What is heartburn?

Well apparently things like chocolate, fatty foods or spicy foods can cause heartburn. So I guess that was kind of my body tattling on my taco bell take out, my frantic chocolate consumption, and strange foods I had never craved before being pregnant.

Other potential pregnancy causes of heartburn. Pressure on the stomach can also lead to heartburn. Hello, I had a growing child inside of my abdomen, squishing my other vital organs. That sounds like pressure to me. All those times I bent over to prove to myself that I could still get back up again while pregnant might have caused some acids to come through like backwash. I did not exactly wear lose fitting maternity clothing because I still wanted to show off my figure, and tight clothing can cause heartburn. Lastly, the extra weight I was accumulating on my body probably instigated heartburn too.

To limit my chances of heartburn again, I began using some of my own herbal medication, I started eating smaller meals more often, I did not go to bed with a full stomach to come sloshing up at me, and I ate slowly. I may not have known what heartburn was until I got it, but after this experience, I will never be uncertain of it again!