Different things can cause your lower esophageal sphincter to weaken or relax too much, such as:
Heartburn
Heartburn is a burning sensation that feels like it’s in your heart, but isn’t really. It’s in your esophagus, the swallowing tube that runs alongside your heart. The feeling is caused by acid refluxing up from your stomach. It’s treatable.
Overview
Heartburn feels like it’s in your heart, but it actually occurs in your esophagus.
What is heartburn?
Heartburn is a painful, burning feeling in the middle of your chest. It’s not really in your heart, though. It’s caused by stomach acid rising into your esophagus (reflux), which runs through your chest, close to your heart. Heartburn is an occasional symptom for many people, and a chronic condition for others, occurring frequently. When it’s chronic, you might have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).
Who gets heartburn?
Many people have heartburn occasionally. It can be triggered by an especially rich or acidic meal, or by extra abdominal pressure, such as during pregnancy. Heartburn that occurs regularly is a symptom of chronic acid reflux (GERD), which is also relatively common. Approximately 20% of people in the U.S. have GERD. Risk factors include having obesity (a body mass index or BMI greater than 30) and overweight (a BMI greater than 25), smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.
Symptoms and Causes
Heartburn is a painful, burning feeling in the middle of your chest.
What does heartburn feel like?
Heartburn feels like acid burning in your chest, which is pretty close to what it actually is. Your esophagus, the swallowing tube that begins at your throat, travels down through the middle of your chest to reach your stomach. Heartburn begins in this tube, but the feeling often radiates through your chest and sometimes into your throat. It’s a burning sensation that can be mild to severe.
When does heartburn occur?
You may notice heartburn more when:
- Lying down.
- Bending over.
- You had a late dinner.
- You had a rich, acidic or spicy meal.
How long does heartburn last?
Heartburn may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. It should go away when the last meal you ate has passed out of your stomach. Once your stomach has emptied its contents, there should be nothing left to come back up (reflux). Depending on the meal, it can take two to five hours for your stomach to finish digesting. Rich and fatty meals take longer to break down in your stomach.
What are the other symptoms of heartburn?
It may be hard to tell the difference between heartburn and other types of chest pain. If you’re unsure about the type of pain you’re feeling, it’s always a good idea to discuss it with a healthcare provider. It may also help to focus on other symptoms that you might have with it. These accompanying symptoms can help you distinguish heartburn from a heart attack or from other esophageal disorders.
If your heartburn is from acid reflux, you may have:
- Burping.
- A sour taste in the mouth.
- Nausea.
- Regurgitation of food.
Other atypical symptoms of acid reflux, include:
- Stomach bloating and overfullness.
- Hiccups.
- Chronic cough.
- Worsening asthma.
- Sore throat.
- Laryngitis.
- Difficulty swallowing or feeling like there’s a lump in your throat.
- Chest pain similar to angina (noncardiac chest pain).
What causes heartburn?
When related to GERD, heartburn occurs when stomach juices, including acids and enzymes, backwash into your esophagus. Your stomach has a thick mucous lining that protects it from these substances, but your esophagus doesn’t. A valve at the bottom of your esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter is supposed to keep stomach contents from coming back up. But sometimes it’s weak or doesn’t close all the way.
Different things can cause your lower esophageal sphincter to weaken or relax too much, such as:
- Inhaling smoke.
- Extra abdominal pressure from body weight, tight clothing or pregnancy.
- Hiatal hernia, when your stomach pushes up through your diaphragm.
- A heavy meal that stretches your stomach and stays in it longer.
- Indigestion and gas, when gas bubbles rise up through your GI (gastrointestinal) tract.
- Lying down too soon after eating.
- Certain foods, including coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits, mint and tomato sauce.
- Certain medications, including birth control pills and blood pressure medications.
Often, more than one of these factors contributes to acid reflux and heartburn.
Why am I suddenly getting heartburn when I’ve never had it before?
If heartburn is relatively new to you, and you haven’t recently changed your diet or lifestyle, you may be getting it for other reasons that can develop gradually over time. For example:
- Aging. Heartburn may develop or worsen as you age because your muscles weaken, including your lower esophageal sphincter.
- Weight gain. Most people gain weight gradually, but symptoms of weight gain (like heartburn) can appear suddenly when you reach a certain threshold.
- Medications. If you’ve recently changed or added new medications, ask your healthcare provider if they could be causing acid reflux.
Is heartburn always caused by acid reflux?
Heartburn is usually a disorder of the esophagus with acid reflux as the most likely cause. But there are a few other conditions that can cause the same sensation. For example:
- Esophageal ulcers. Ulcers are sores caused by erosion of the lining in your GI tract. They cause a telltale burning kind of pain. Ulcers in your esophagus are much less common than in your stomach or intestine. When they do occur, it’s usually due to acid reflux. But reflux isn’t the only possible cause. Overusing NSAIDs, like aspirin and ibuprofen, can also cause ulcers.
- Esophagitis. Severe inflammation in your esophagus may cause a burning sensation. Causes include GERD itself, viruses, fungal infections and certain medications. An allergic condition of the esophagus (eosinophilic esophagitis) can also lead to heartburn.
- Functional heartburn/reflux hypersensitivity. Functional gastrointestinal disorders are disorders of the gut-brain connection — how your nervous system conveys sensations in your digestive system to your brain. Functional heartburn feels like classic heartburn, but there’s no sign of acid reflux, erosion or inflammation. Reflux hypersensitivity is caused by non-acid reflux. Overactive nerves can contribute to the burning sensation (visceral hypersensitivity).
Is heartburn serious?
Occasional heartburn is uncomfortable, but it won’t do any real damage. In fact, some amount of acid reflux is normal, and most people don’t even feel it. If you’re feeling it, you may be getting more acid reflux than your esophagus can tolerate. If this happens occasionally, it’s a minor wound that will heal quickly. If it happens regularly though, your esophagus lining may not have enough time to heal in between.
When your esophagus lining is consistently injured, it can lead to long-term complications, like:
- Esophageal strictures. When the tissues lining your esophagus are constantly inflamed, eventually they might begin to replace themselves with scar tissue. Since the esophagus is essentially a long tube, that inflammation and scarring will cause your esophagus to narrow (stricture). This can lead to swallowing problems and food getting stuck in your esophagus.
- Intestinal metaplasia. Sometimes instead of scarring, the tissues undergo a different kind of change. It’s called intestinal metaplasia because they change to look more like the lining of your intestines. When it happens in your esophagus, it’s also called Barrett’s esophagus. This is considered a precancerous condition.
- Esophageal cancer. Only a small percentage of people develop esophageal cancer. But there’s a direct pathway from persistent inflammation (esophagitis) to cellular changes (Barrett’s esophagus) that lead to cancer. The risk increases the more severe your heartburn is and the longer it goes untreated.
Acid reflux that causes heartburn may also indicate other hidden problems in your digestive system. For example, you may have too much acid in your stomach, which can cause complications like gastritis and stomach ulcers. Acid reflux may also aggravate your asthma or other chronic respiratory conditions. If reflux rises into your throat, it can cause swelling and lead to ulcers and growths there.
My Chest Burns When I Cough | Should I Be Worried?
Have you ever coughed so hard and loud that it made your entire chest burn? If so, don’t worry. That’s nothing to be concerned about. Usually, this burning feeling occurs due to an infection. So when it clears up, all other irritating factors vanish too. However, there are chances that the sensation can remain. But if your chest burns when you cough after the infection has healed, it could be a cause for major concern.Nonetheless, we’re here to tell you all about the causes and treatment plans. This way, you’ll be well prepared if ever met with such an intense feeling.
My Chest Burns When I Cough, Is It Normal?
A simple burn in your chest when you cough isn’t much to stress about. That is to say, during flu season, it’s completely normal. Sometimes it’s merely your throat getting scratched by the excessive coughing. Other times, it could be a symptom of an illness itself.However, knowing that this feeling is 100% normal and nothing to be scared about is what matters most. Plus, it certainly is not a heart attack.
Causes
Mentioned below are some of the common causes related to a burning chest and coughing.
- AsthmaDuring an asthma attack, you might experience severe coughing and breathing problems. As a side effect, these labored acts could cause an inflammation of your airways, making them burn on the inside.
- BronchitisWhen your bronchial tubes are inflamed and swollen, it leads to Bronchitis. These tubes mainly connect your throat to the lungs, so when they’re constricted, it could become quite difficult to breathe. This is what ultimately causes your chest to burn and feel intense pressure within.
- Muscle ExhaustionYou may not know this, but when you cough, many of your body’s muscles come into play. So, if you’ve been racked with coughs, your chest, back, and abdomen muscles are likely to get strained or exhausted.
- PleurisyThe inflammation of your pleural tissue is called Pleurisy. This tissue covers the outside of your lungs, along with the chest walls. When it’s inflamed, however, fluid can develop between its layers. It is essentially this, then, which can lead to chest-burning coughs.
- PneumoniaLabeled as a dangerous lung infection, pneumonia occurs after a cold and can leave your lungs in an extremely vulnerable condition. With a weak immune system, it can even be fatal. Nonetheless, coughing during pneumonia can be exceptionally tough to deal with.
- Pulmonary Disease (COPD)Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a compilation of various chronic diseases related to the lungs, chest, and throat. This can cause swollen or obstructed airways that seemingly get worse over time, eventually leading to chest burns.
- Lung CancerAlthough rare, persistent chest pain can be a sign of lung cancer, especially if the burning sensation is not followed by other cold or flu symptoms. If the feeling remains, it’s best to get it checked out as soon as you can.
Treatment Options
When seeking treatment plans, it’s best to consult a medical professional. Chances are, if you suffer from any of the illnesses mentioned above, your doctor will recommend the following treatments:
- OTC Pain Relief Medication
- Taking Steam to Loosen the Mucus in your Chest
- Drinking Warm or Hot Drinks
- Taking the Time to Rest
- Avoid Drinking and Smoking
- Wearing a Mask to Minimize Pollution Intake
- Using a Humidifier When Sleeping
- Antibiotics
- Nebulization or Inhaler Recommendation
What’s The Takeaway?
In the end, if you’ve ever complained, ‘my chest burns when I cough,’ don’t worry. More likely than not, it’s just passing flu or a harmless throat condition. Either way, it’s better to visit a medical professional to get it checked out, especially if your chest continues to burn. Reach out to NorthWest Cardiovascular Clinic by dialing (281) 807-5253 for more information.
