Heartburn afflicts a person when partially digested food mixed with gastric juice or the gastric juice alone escapes back into the esophagus causing a pain behind the breastbone in the chest. All of us have faced these conditions at some point in time, however if it recurs constantly over three times in a week, it is thought to have developed into chronic heartburn and may be indicative of GERD.

Not everybody who suffers from acid reflux is a patient of chronic heartburn, in most people it is occasional occurrence, however some factors aggravate it is others and it develops into chronic heartburn. Let us see what these factors are:

Gender - It has been observed that more women suffer from chronic heartburn when compared to men. It may be that a woman’s esophageal sphincter malfunctions more frequently permitting the gastric acid to escape into the esophagus, causing mild to chronic heartburn. For those women who are pregnant, the risk is even higher. This may be because when the belly swells due to the presence of the fetus it puts pressure on the stomach, pushing the contents up. Doctors should be consulted while treating chronic heartburn in pregnant women.

Another common cause is obesity. It has been observed that people who are clinically obese suffer more when compared to their slimmer counterparts. The reason for this again lies in the excess fat in the belly area putting pressure on the stomach and pushing the gastric acid up the esophagus. This causes heartburn and it can become more severe if the excess weight is not shed.

Some genetic factors also contribute to chronic heartburn. It has been observed that some races like the Caucasians and the Hispanics suffer more frequently when compared to the Asians or the colored races. Genetic science is making progress in leaps and bounds across the world and maybe we will understand the reasons behind this predisposition soon as a result of new research.

Chronic heartburn, whether or not it has progressed to the stage of GERD, can be treated in several ways. The simplest treatment, that of popping in an over the counter ranitidine pill, would most likely be useless in a severe case. Intervention by a doctor is most often required at this stage. Doctors usually recommend drugs containing ranitidine, Histamine 2 blockers, and metoclopramide or proton pump inhibitors. Sometimes more than one of these compositions is prescribed in combination to cure a case of chronic heartburn. The dosage is decided by the doctor based on the severity of the condition. In rare cases when heartburn is accompanied by Hiatal hernia fundoplication, surgery is performed to physically counter its cause.

Other useful information on web:

1. Home Remedies for Heartburn
2. Home Remedies for Gastritis

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