‘Burning sensation in my chest’
By Effective Communication
Over the last few weeks I’ve started to experience what I can only describe as a burning sensation in my chest that seems to travel upwards and literally feels as if my chest is on fire. It’s been particularly bad at night and has kept me awake on several occasions – as much with the worry about what’s causing it as with the pain. I’m hoping it’s nothing serious but am wondering if you have any suggestions?
Any severe chest pain should be checked out by your GP but the symptoms you describe here sound to me as if you’re suffering from a case of severe heartburn.
Despite its name, heartburn actually has nothing at all to do with the heart. It’s a problem relating to the digestive system that occurs when acid from the stomach passes backwards and comes into contact with the oesophagus (food pipe) causing irritation.
The irritation comes in the form of the symptoms you describe – a burning sensation which begins to build in the upper abdomen behind the breastbone. It may be accompanied by a sour taste in the back of the throat, known as ‘waterbrash’. If acid reaches the larynx, it can also cause coughing and sometimes hoarseness.
Around 20% of adults will suffer with heartburn regularly and it does have a tendency to be more severe at night.
For most people heartburn is more of an annoyance than anything that is going to cause serious health problems and there are a number of lifestyle changes you can make in order to try and help guard against it.
Certain foods are known to increase chances of developing heartburn so do some research and try to limit these in your diet. Obvious examples would be spicy foods such as chilli; citrus fruits, fatty or greasy foods, onions, tomatoes and chocolate – sadly while chocolate tastes great, it is also known to be a big trigger.
Try to eat smaller meals more frequently rather than huge amounts in one go. Splitting you meals in this way will help to limit the amount of stomach acid being
produced as the larger the meal, the harder the stomach has to work to digest it.
Also, don’t eat your last meal of the day directly before bedtime. If you give yourself a few hours in between, the levels of acid in your stomach will have had chance to decrease to a level less likely to cause you a problem through the night.
When you do go to bed, a good tip is to try and sleep with your head and shoulders slightly elevated rather than flat as this helps to keep the stomach contents where they should be.
As with most conditions, smoking and excess alcohol consumption only serve as a hindrance so it’s best to cut out altogether or at least limit your intake of tobacco and alcohol.
If you’re overweight, increased pressure on the stomach will not help – pregnancy too causes the same kind of pressure – but whether overweight or not, regular exercise will help aid digestion (not taken directly after a big meal of course!).
Chewing gum has been proven to help in some cases as it assists the production of saliva and can provide short term-relief for heartburn symptoms. Likewise, warm liquids, such as water or herbal tea can calm the condition as they help to dilute the acid that’s causing the problem.
Over the counter Antacid treatments may also help. These work to dilute the acid and come in either tablet or liquid form. It’s always worth consulting the pharmacist though as they may not be suitable if you’re pregnant or already on another form of medication for example.
Certain medications can actually act as irritants – particularly anti-inflammatory tablets – as can stress so try to relax.
As I mentioned, it is unlikely that heartburn will lead to anything more serious but in the worst case scenarios, the recurrent irritation of the oesophagus can lead to a breakdown of tissue and the formation of ulcers, which can in turn lead to bleeding or anaemia – or to a condition known as Barrett’s oesophagus, which is associated with an increased risk of developing oesophageal cancer.
This is rare and in general, while uncomfortable, heartburn will not cause any lasting damage. It is far more likely that by making some simple lifestyle changes you’ll markedly relieve the symptoms.
Tags: Dr Jo Longstaffe, heartburn, The Independent General Practice
