Heartburn is a common condition that is caused when the stomach acid refluxes back into the esophagus and causes a burning sensation in the chest and leaves you with a bitter taste in the mouth.This sensation is usually felt more when you have taken a heavy meal or eaten foods that cause acid reflux. Heartburn happens when the contents of the stomach re-enter the esophagus, producing a sense of burning.

However, this condition does not occur when the cardiac sphincter functions correctly. But first, you must understand what a cardiac sphincter is. The cardiac sphincter is like a filter whose duty is to close the passage between the esophagus and the stomach once the food has successfully passed into the stomach. But when this sphincter does not perform its function properly, that is when you feel the burning sensation. The sphincter becomes weak due to several reasons, and thus food particles can pass through it into the esophagus causing heartburn symptoms.

Having heartburn once in a while is not a problem, but if you face this very frequently, then it is a matter of concern. If heartburn problems are not treated in the initial stage, then a person may also face esophagitis in which the esophagus becomes inflamed and lead to complications. Some of the heartburn symptoms are explained in detail for your convenience so that you know when to seek medical help:

• Burning sensation in the chest
  A burning feeling in the chest is the most common among all other heartburn symptoms. To be precise, the burning sensation appears just behind the breastbone. The amount of time the burning sensation lasts varies in each case. However, most of the times it lasts for a few minutes and happens mostly after heavy meals.
• Difficulty in swallowing
  You will face an obvious obstruction in swallowing your food normally. It may also happen that you will face painful swallowing and is a sure sign of a heartburn symptom.
• Chest pain
  A tremendous chest pain is one of the important heartburn symptoms. It is due to this heartburn symptom that many people confuse heartburn with a heart attack as the pain could be quite excruciating. The chest pain usually occurs when you bend down, or it can also happen when you are lying down or even doing simple chores like eating. Since you will not be able to distinguish whether the chest pain was due to heartburn or heart attack, you must never waste any time and see a doctor at once the moment you face any unnatural discomfort in your chest. Another common feature of the heartburn is that the person starts sweating excessively whenever the chest pain starts. The pain radiates to the shoulders and arms. The jaws start hurting too when the condition worsens. This is the very reason that heartburns are mostly confused with heart attacks.
• Burning feeling in the throat
  As it is mentioned earlier, in the case of heartburn, the food from the stomach comes up through the esophagus into the throat. The food comes up with a sour and acidic solution that gives a burning sensation in the throat too. This fluid is usually salty. The burning sensation is felt at the back of the throat and can be highly uncomfortable to deal with especially while we are out at work or outings.
• Feeling as if food is stuck
  Among all other heartburn symptoms, you will also feel as if the food is stuck in your throat or somewhere in the esophagus between your throat and stomach. This can be unpleasant.
• Dizziness
  A feeling of light-headedness and dizziness is also felt by the person who already has the other heartburn symptoms. The person will also face difficulty in breathing or feel short of breath.

You must have full knowledge about your diet if you want to avoid heartburns. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, too much of fried food items and carbonated drinks tend to cause and worsen the condition. If you think you are experiencing heartburn, then you should better avoid these foods at all cost. But you must always visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. He/she will probably do an X-ray of your chest and abdomen and also perform a pH test of your esophagus.

You can take antacids initially if you are facing heartburn, but you must remember that it may lead to constipation. Experiencing heartburn for a prolonged time can influence the quality of your life. So don’t waste your time if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above. Eat healthy and smaller meals and stay fit to avoid the situation altogether. Remember to eat good healthy foods instead of junk food which is oily and can aggravate your heartburn situation.