Heartburn with gastritis is one of the most popular symptoms. Heartburn often occurs with gastritis with high acidity; with low acidity, this is rare, but this condition is worth talking about separately. Heartburn can cause serious discomfort to the carrier of the disease; it not only causes a feeling, but also real pain. Heartburn occurs in both chronic and acute gastritis. Treatment of heartburn with gastritis can be carried out with folk remedies or medications. Read more about the treatment of heartburn with gastritis here. Heartburn with gastritis – read more gastritinfo.com.
How does heartburn occur with gastritis
Heartburn (acid reflux) is a burning sensation behind the sternum, which can be accompanied by an airy, sour or bitter belching. Unpleasant sensations increase after eating, when leaning forward or lying down.
Between the esophagus and the stomach is the lower esophageal valve. It acts as a gate: it allows food to enter the stomach and prevents it from going back. With heartburn, its functions are impaired.
The valve becomes weak and cannot keep the “door closed”. And, as they say in astrology, the retrograde movement begins – it opens in the opposite direction. Therefore, the acid of the gastric juice, and with it pepsin (and sometimes even bile acids and pancreatic enzymes) begin to affect the mucous membrane of the esophagus.
With atony (this Greek word means “weakening”) of the esophageal muscles, the tone of the upper and lower valves decreases, the acidic contents of the stomach tend to rise, that is, not only into the esophagus, but also into the larynx, and even into the oral cavity. And the esophagus cannot neutralize the acids that enter it. Stomach acid, enzymes and bile simply burn the lining of the esophagus. And after chemical burns, ulcers often appear and ulceration begins.
The probability of heartburn in gastritis
If heartburn does occur with low acidity, it is much less common than with high acidity. It can be explained by the entry into the esophagus of either organic acids accumulated in the stomach (acetic, malic, etc.) or excess bile. Gastritis can develop when acidity is close to zero, and it will not manifest itself as acute pain, but as a mild malaise, with a specific taste in the mouth. The cause of gastritis with low acidity is inflammation of the gastric mucosa. In the absence of an acidic environment, there is a possibility of such inflammation developing into cancer.
Gastritis as a cause of heartburn
Sadly, heartburn often occurs during stress. When stressed, the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach increases. In addition, psycho-emotional stress causes spasm of muscles and blood vessels in the body and provokes contraction of the walls of the esophagus. Which leads to incorrect opening of the lower valve. This is nervous heartburn. And it is very difficult to treat. But with the right approach, it can be completely cured.
It is believed that classic heartburn occurs only with gastritis with high acidity. This is wrong. Heartburn occurs with normal acidity, and even with low acidity. This is her cunning. Heartburn occurs very often when taking many medications. Asthma medications, heart medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, sedatives, antispasmodics, birth control medications… all of these medications have a side effect – heartburn.
Heartburn as a symptom of gastritis
Heartburn can act both as a harbinger of the disease, and as a sign of a disease that already exists. Sometimes it also occurs with neuropsychiatric problems. But most often it speaks about diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:
- ernias (when part of the stomach or intestinal loop is displaced into the chest cavity through the food opening of the lower esophagus);
- about gastritis and ulcers of various localizations;
- about pancreatitis, duodenitis, cholecystitis;
- about reflux disease;
- about oncological diseases of the digestive system.
You can listen to yourself, evaluate your well-being in order to approximately understand the cause of heartburn. But then you definitely need to contact a good specialist!
How to understand if heartburn is gastritis or not
- When pain and burning intensify in a lying position, then there is a huge chance that the problem is in the esophagus.
- If heartburn occurs about an hour after eating and is accompanied by sour belching, you most likely have gastritis or a stomach ulcer.
- With duodenitis, the pain is constant and intensifies after eating, especially if there are errors in the diet. Then the pain decreases and becomes dull. With diseases of the duodenum, bloating is a must.
- Cholecystitis, especially chronic, is accompanied by pain in the right hypochondrium and right upper abdomen. Especially after eating fatty foods or shaking.
- With hiatal hernias, pain appears in a lying position or when bending over. It is localized in the stomach, sometimes radiating to the heart area and back. In a vertical position it goes away immediately.
- If a burning sensation behind the sternum is accompanied by nightly “hungry” pain, pain in the hypochondrium, vomiting, pain, weight loss, you should immediately consult a doctor!
- If heartburn occurs more than twice a week, consult a doctor immediately!
Best thing to eat for breakfast with gastritis
Diet to eliminate heartburn in gastritis
- Be sure to exclude from the menu: excess sweets, sweet strong tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, alcohol, carbonated drinks, soda.
- Completely stop consuming: too hot, sour, spicy (not only pepper and seasonings – it is necessary to limit or exclude onions, garlic, horseradish, mustard), fatty, spicy, mint and menthol, any tomato products, citrus fruits, spinach, sorrel.
- Eliminate fresh bread, pastries, muffins, cakes and pastries, and most sweets. And also pickles, smoked meats, and sausages.
- It is best to steam, boil or stew and bake in the oven.
- Necessary vegetables are carrots, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin…
- Durum wheat pasta, bran bread, corn tortillas, and brown rice are very healthy. Milk and dairy products, but only low-fat.
Very necessary: barley, pearl barley (barley), wheat groats (Artek or semolina), oatmeal and buckwheat porridge; lean fish, lean meat; apples, bananas, non-acidic fruits and berries; green tea, dried fruit compotes.
- Almond nut neutralizes heartburn, but it must be thoroughly chewed or ground.
- From traditional medicine recipes we can recommend: decoction of flaxseed, infusions of chamomile, anise, fennel, potato juice.
Medicine for heartburn with gastritis
If there is increased acidity, you should completely discard the product, which can potentially cause discomfort. This list includes spicy, salty and flour dishes. You should stick to a diet and fill your diet with mineral still water. It will help dilute the acid in the stomach, which will quickly improve your general condition. It is equally useful to use honey for increased stomach acidity. A teaspoon of honey can be sucked several times a day. You can also add honey to chamomile tea to calm your stomach.
You should never delay treatment, even if heartburn is not too annoying or tiring. If heartburn occurs regularly and persistently, then most likely this is a signal that something is wrong with your body and it needs treatment.
Low acidity also requires a special diet, but here the patient will have to rely on acidic foods that will maintain digestive enzymes at normal levels and will not allow foods ingested to begin to ferment and rot. You should avoid most fruits, juices, smoked sausages, fried and spicy foods, which can cause irritation of the mucous membranes and provoke pain.
With this problem, you need the help of a specialist who will help maintain all stomach indicators at normal levels and prescribe the necessary and varied diet, which will not adversely affect the immune system and will help you quickly rehabilitate.
Heartburn medications
The pharmaceutical industry offers consumers drugs that relieve the burning condition. The range of products is rich in names, but some still prefer to turn to traditional medicine methods. They have a milder effect, and not every person has confidence in numerous drugs, with the consequences of increased stomach acidity. Rennie, Marblen, – this is the minimum list of medications for heartburn with gastritis.
Can gastritis cause bad breath
Some tips for normalizing stomach acidity
You can increase stomach acidity by choosing the right diet. Include in your diet for low acidity:
- honey water, decoctions and infusions of rosehip, sea buckthorn;
- apricots and grapes;
- fresh cucumbers, carrot juice, grated radish, blueberries, blackcurrant juice, beans;
- herbs – calamus root, elecampane, wormwood, St. John’s wort, yarrow, immortelle, etc.;
- mineral water .
Eating meat foods trains the release of hydrochloric acid in the required volume. However, the experiment should be approached with caution. Choose lean veal, rabbit, turkey, chicken breast, combine meat with vegetables, stick to separate meals.
First aid for heartburn
If heartburn strikes unexpectedly, and it is not possible to endure the burning sensation, a simple recipe will come to the rescue.
A prepared solution of a teaspoon of baking soda and regular drinking water. The operating principle is based on an elementary chemical reaction. Alkaline neutralizes high acidity, helping to quickly cope with the situation. But it is not recommended to abuse this method – there is a risk of disturbing the acid-base balance.
Another useful recipe for reducing acidity is based on aloe juice. It can be used as soon as characteristic symptoms appear. To do this, dilute a teaspoon of juice in a glass of water and drink orally. You can also resort to sunflower oil by drinking a tablespoon. This treatment cannot be called pleasant, but this product is in every home.
Bacterium helicobacter pylori and gastritis