From the explanations of gastroenterologist Lauren Bleich, it follows that the appearance of heartburn is possible both with disorders in the gastrointestinal tract and in completely healthy people.
< br>Gastroenterologist Bleich recalled that heartburn that occurs after eating some food or drink may be an indication of existing problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
“Heartburn occurs if the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus does not contract properly thus, allowing stomach acid to freely enter the esophagus,” HuffPost quotes the doctor as saying.
At the same time, the expert noted: in some cases, completely healthy people without gastrointestinal pathologies can suffer from heartburn.
For example, some healthy people may experience heartburn after drinking tea, coffee or eating chocolate.
Lauren Bleich explained that caffeine (it is found, in addition to coffee, in tea and chocolate) helps relax the muscles of the esophageal sphincter – in this case, stomach acid can immediately penetrate into the esophagus in a fairly large volume and cause irritation with the characteristic feeling of heartburn. The gastroenterologist added that chocolate also contains a substance such as theobromine, the action of which also causes relaxation of the esophageal sphincter, leading to the penetration of stomach acid into the esophagus.
When else can heartburn appear in a healthy person:
- When exercising shortly after eating;
- When falling asleep, resting (when the body takes a horizontal position) after eating;
- When eating on a fairly full stomach (less than 3 hours after eating).
In all these circumstances, gastric acid juice also freely enters the esophagus, causing irritation of its walls.
The MedikForum.ru portal previously wrote about that , that strong alcohol was called less harmful to the stomach with an existing peptic ulcer.
Important! Information provided for reference purposes only. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.