IF YOU’VE EVER had a night out hampered by heartburn or indigestion, you’re not alone.
According to new research commissioned by Gaviscon, 94% of Irish people claim to have experienced heartburn, with 87% of us experiencing indigestion at some stage too.
As well as making you physically uncomfortable, both ailments can be stress-inducing too. Feeling guilty about leaving your friends on a night out, worrying about your food choices or the fear that all of your fun plans will eventually end with you clutching your chest or stomach can make you want to stay at home instead.
Those surveyed said heartburn and indigestion limit their food choices (59%), disturbs their sleep (58%) and affects their social life (36%).
While there are worse things in the world than having to leave a family BBQ or a communion or confirmation do, it is far from ideal. Especially when it’s a repeated event that leaves you in agony. Overall, it can be hard to enjoy life to the fullest when besieged with indigestion and heartburn.
Why does heartburn and indigestion strike at what feels like the least opportune time? Well, there are quite a few reasons for either to occur.
For some, eating spicy food will generally lead to heartburn or indigestion. Other causes can be lying down after eating or eating late at night. Even stress can lead to a physical reaction that manifests as heartburn or indigestion.
It’s mostly to do with stomach acid and is often brought on after eating or drinking. These acids travel up to your oesophagus, which can feel in line with your chest, hence the name heartburn (throat burn doesn’t sound too appealing either). For indigestion, you’re more likely to have pain in the upper abdominal area.
If you began reading this feeling confident that you’ve never been affected by heartburn or indigestion, you may have gotten this far and are starting to think ‘hang on, that does sound familiar’. If that’s the case, keep reading to learn all of the symptoms of heartburn and indigestion.
There are seven main symptoms of heartburn and indigestion. These may vary from person to person, but generally, long-time sufferers of both will recognise them immediately.
Chest burning may feel like a campfire behind your breastbone. It’s one of the symptoms caused by stomach contents irritating the food pipe (oesophagus). This is one of the most common symptoms of heartburn and indigestion with over a third (38%) of those surveyed by Gaviscon having experienced chest burning.
Acid reflux may feel like a fountain of sour liquid in your chest. It comes from the contents of your stomach coming back up the food pipe. Acid reflux was noted as the most common symptom with over two-thirds (61%) of respondents suffering from that particular complaint.
For some, heartburn and indigestion can manifest in bad breath, which feels like a smelly sock in your mouth. It’s one of the symptoms associated with long-term acid reflux.
Throat burning, similar to acid reflux, is caused by stomach contents coming back up the food pipe. If you’ve suffered from it before, you might compare it to the feeling of a volcano erupting in your throat.
Stomach discomfort is associated closely with indigestion, and has been described as though your stomach is being punched. It’s caused by stomach acid irritating the stomach lining. 56% of those surveyed said they experienced stomach discomfort.
Staying in the stomach, the burning might feel like a campfire pit in your belly. It’s a symptom linked to stomach acid irritating the stomach lining.
Lastly, a common symptom of heartburn and indigestion for many is a sour taste. This feels like biting a bitter lemon and is caused by excess stomach acid.
If you suffer from indigestion and heartburn, it is recommended you make lifestyle modifications such as eating smaller, more frequent meals and trying to find ways to relax which may help symptoms.
Alternatively, treating heartburn and indigestion with medication is effective in freeing you from pain. Almost one in five people surveyed (19%) said they carry medication to treat both ailments everywhere they go.
Gaviscon is one treatment available and works by combining two components, sodium alginate and antacid. It’s a fast and long-lasting treatment, and is useful as the first point of call for many who suffer from heartburn and indigestion.
Sodium alginate, which is refined from seaweed by sustainable means, forms a protective barrier over the contents of your stomach (which is mostly acid, but also pepsin and bile). This helps soothe the burning sensation associated with many of the symptoms and helps prevent reflux.
Antacid works to neutralise excess stomach acid, making the pain go away easier. It turns excess acid into water and other neutral substances.
Within those surveyed, three out of five people (59%) said that they take medicine to ease symptoms of heartburn or indigestion. Over one-third (38%) of sufferers reach for medication immediately to combat the symptoms.
Don’t let heartburn and indigestion take away from your enjoyment. Know the symptoms and the treatments to get you back on track.
Visit Gaviscon to learn more.
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