The advertising of heartburn remedies fly us around the ears. This is because 1 in 5 Dutch people suffer from heartburn every week.


Heartburn

Heartburn is the backflow of gastric contents into the esophagus. This is also known as reflux. If acidic stomach contents flow back into your esophagus regularly and prolonged, you may experience complaints. In the long run, the esophagus may even be damaged. That's because the esophagus does not withstand the aggressive hydrochloric acid contained in gastric juice. The stomach has a thick protective mucous layer that protects the stomach wall from the acid. The esophagus does not have such a protective layer.

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The most common complaint with heartburn is pain in the back or bottom of the sternum. The pain can feel burning or pressing and radiating to the neck or between the shoulder blades in the back. This is why quite once confused with heart problems. Some people also suffer from sore throat, hoarseness, coughing or feeling that there is a lump in their throat all the time. You may also experience regurgitation, where small pieces of food with heartburn flow back into your mouth. Many people, especially at night, suffer from these complaints.

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