Whats in a name – heartburn, or acid reflux?
“Heartburn” refers to pain and burning sensations in the upper middle part of the stomach and chest. Heartburn is not a condition itself – it is a symptom. Unfortunately, many people suffer in silence with heartburn unnecessarily because they assume it’s just a lifestyle issue or because they do not know that there are effective treatments that can control your heartburn. Frequent heartburn is a symptom caused by a condition known as “acid reflux,” “reflux,” or “GERD.” Acid reflux occurs when excess acid backs up from the stomach and goes into the esophagus (the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach). When acid from the stomach comes in contact with the lining of the esophagus, chronic heartburn symptoms such as pain and burning in the chest area occur. Pepsin, a stomach enzyme that breaks down protein, also travels up into the esophagus when reflux occurs. Unlike the lining of the stomach, the lining of the esophagus can be damaged by acid and pepsin. Pepsin causes the
