Heartburn: Here's what you can do yourself to relieve the burning pain!There it is again, that uncomfortable burning pain you feel in your esophagus. You burp more and the acid seems to irritate your throat with each burp. The prere behind the sternum puts additional strain on you. Neither grandmother's home remedies nor acid blockers could help you? Then you now have several options to provide relief from your symptoms:
In this article, we will tell you above all why medications do not play a role for us and what the actual cause of your heartburn is!
You want to become symptom-free as quickly as possible? Then take a look directly at our exercises. Or you can't identify with the symptoms described above. Your complaints not at all correctly assess? Then first take a closer look at our symptom checklist.
1. Definition of heartburn/reflux and typical symptoms
Briefly& Scarce
– Heartburn is not a disease, but a symptom. It refers to the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus, which is usually accompanied by a burning pain. – The consequences are a feeling of prere behind the breastbone and even esophagitis and coughing. – Behind heartburn can be harmless causes, but also diseases such as reflux.
You want to know what the possible cause of your heartburn is? Then also read chapter 2. percent of all Germans suffer daily. That even already occurs in children.
1.1 definition
Heartburn develops,
when stomach acid, formed in cells of the gastric mucosa, through the mouth of the stomach (cardia) back into the esophagus (esophagus) flows. This reflux attacks the sensitive mucous membrane of the esophagus and can cause esophagitis.
Even without esophagitis, the acid that has risen is mainly noticeable in the following ways Pain behind the breastbone. The esophageal mucosa, unlike the cells of the gastric mucosa, is not equipped with a protective film against gastric acid. The aggressive action of the hydrochloric acid from the stomach is therefore directly exposed.
The heartburn that develops in this way can be harmless – but it can also indicate a disease. It is not uncommon for heartburn patients to receive the Diagnosis "reflux disease. The possible complaints in the course of this reflux disease are extremely varied, whereby Heartburn as a leading symptom applies.
Frequently, however, heartburn is not accompanied at all by acid regurgitation, the classic symptom par excellence. This is actually already clear for us:
The cause may not just be diet.
To give you a good start Overview In order to offer you a better understanding of heartburn, we have listed below a number of symptoms that can accompany heartburn or already indicate a chronic reflux disease with esophagitis: Which of the symptoms listed here do you know from yourself?
1.2 Symptom checklist heartburn/reflux disease
Heartburn as a leading symptom of reflux disease (gastroesophageal reflux disease) – often symptom and disease are equated Acid regurgitation; Bad breath as an unpleasant accompanying symptom – acid-induced Stomach pain and nausea, often due to an irritable stomach
– general digestive problems such as flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, etc.
Prere behind the breastbone, chest pain – discomfort such as a feeling of fullness and nausea after eating or drinking acidic drinks, Alcohol and nicotine
– symptoms worsen when bending over or lying down – irritated mucous membrane of the esophagus – irritation of the gastric mucosa Inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis) Difficulty swallowing such as pain and burning when swallowing: If the esophageal lining is irritated or inflamed due to heartburn, food particles stick to it more easily. Affected persons therefore often complain of difficulty in swallowing. Feeling "a lump in the throat". Other patients report a feeling of dryness that prevents proper swallowing and cannot be eliminated even by drinking plenty of fluids. Chronic cough, frequent throat clearing and hoarseness: Stomach acid can rise to the point of reaching the respiratory tract in some sufferers. This results in a permanent urge to cough, especially at night. The larynx can also be damaged by the rising stomach acid and cause hoarseness.
You know some complaints from your own experience? Then read now what is usually behind them and how you can help yourself. Download now our free PDF guide against heartburn. Start directly with the best exercises for a pain-free life!
2. Most often, the cause of heartburn is attributed to a lush. Excessively high-fat diet attributed. – Diet can promote reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus, but reflux is only possible because of muscular conditions. – In most cases, the sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach no longer works properly because its function is impaired due to tension in the diaphragm.
And you can actually do something about it yourself. If you want to learn more, read chapter 3.
The
Causal research The treatment of heartburn, but also of a serious reflux disease, sometimes proves to be extremely difficult for many doctors and patients complicated. Not only the symptoms, but also the response to certain medications can vary greatly and make a targeted treatment difficult. The administration of painkillers and acid-binding medications, including acid blockers and proton pump inhibitors, often happens hastily and in the best case only alleviates the symptoms.
The proton pump inhibitors are even used specifically for the Diagnosis gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to test whether they have a positive effect on the symptoms. If yes, a reflux disease can be determined with high probability.
What goes unnoticed is the fact that by administering the medication, the actual cause can continue to wreak its havoc under the guise of pain-relieving drugs.
Reliable diagnosis
In order to diagnose reflux disease with certainty, anyway, always a gastroscopy (gastroscopy) or a 24-hour measurement of the pH value is necessary. During a gastroscopy, the doctor can look at the upper part of the digestive tract with the help of a small camera inserted in a tube (endoscope).
We know that medications for discomfort In the short term Can provide relief, permanently but not help to lead a pain-free life. The supposedly positive effects are often accompanied by side effects. It is better to find out more about this before you take a drug. The reaction of your body to the medicine. Their effect cannot be estimated in many cases. Nevertheless, the administration of drugs for heartburn is still highly popular.
2.1 Causes in conventional medicine
Conventional medicine recognizes several forms of heartburn. The classic form is gastroesophageal reflux disease. Here, medicine distinguishes between two different variants:
– on the one hand the erosive form, – on the other hand Non-erosive form .
These two types are in principle only in the Concomitant symptoms vary, because both forms are manifested by the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus
However, in the non-erosive form of reflux disease, the mucous membrane of the esophagus does not show inflammation, whereas the erosive form accompanied by clear evidence of an irritated throat. A Esophagitis The treating physicians usually determine this by means of an endoscopy (transfer of an endoscope into the esophagus).
Doctors attribute the cause of reflux in these cases to a unhealthy and excessively fatty diet back. Excessive meals and unfavorable eating habits are partly responsible for an increase in acidic gastric juice rising into the esophagus. Are seen particularly critically thereby
– hasty eating – heavy meals in the evening – foods rich in fat and sugar, and – spicy food.
What they fail to take into account, however, are the preconditions for the gastric juice, and in some cases the stomach contents, to reflux into the esophagus in the first place.
In addition to a diet that is too fatty, too sugary and too spicy, conventional medicine believes there are other factors that increase the risk of heartburn:
Overweight: Too much body weight puts a strain on the stomach and intestines. The more fatty tie now develops in the abdomen, the more the closure mechanism of the sphincter at the lower end of the esophagus is impaired.
stress: Anger quickly hits the stomach – who doesn't know that?. Stress literally becomes a "constant burner" when digestion is blocked and there is an increased production of gastric acid.
Medication: Certain pain and rheumatism medications are also discussed as triggers of heartburn. In fact, they can also contribute to a dysfunction of the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach.
2. Roland Liebscher-Bracht. Nutritionist Dr. Petra Bracht see the actual cause of heartburn less in the above factors than in physical structures. They attribute the heartburn to a
Functional restriction of the gastric sphincter muscle Back and, with their explanation, provide a novel approach to understanding the development of heartburn and a diagnosed reflux disease. Their approach challenges previous forms of therapy using proton pump inhibitors to alleviate acid production, but focuses on the root cause:
muscular-fascial tension of the respiratory muscle, the diaphragm.
Exactly what changes are behind this is quite easy to explain. Whenever we breathe, the respiratory muscles move up and down under the ribs. The diaphragm raises and lowers itself anew with each breathing process. Due to a lack of exercise, this musculature is insufficiently trained in many people. Too little endurance sport – in which we breathe deeply and thus challenge the muscles – but also a lot of Too long phases of sitting, can cause heartburn due to the plays a decisive role play.
Anatomy: esophagus, stomach, diaphragm
As you now know, the Origin of your heartburn According to Roland Liebscher-Bracht and Dr. Petra Bracht not mainly in sumptuous meals, a too high nicotine consumption , alcohol or other risk factors. Certainly, the above-mentioned stimulants as well as a diet too rich in fat, overweight and stress are not exactly beneficial, as they additionally boost acid production – and they also do not contribute to your overall well-being.
Nevertheless, in our experience, the cause lies in the failure of the sphincter muscle that shields the stomach from the esophagus.
Digestion of your food – you've probably heard about this – starts with chewing. Several areas of your body are involved in processing food. Since each area does not work separately, but depends on previous processes and prepares each of the following steps, a single disturbance can result in a kind of Domino effect come, which can affect the entire organism.
Stomach and esophagus
In heartburn, both the stomach and the esophagus are the focus of attention. Quite decisive in this process, however, is a certain Muscle, which is given too little attention by conventional medicine in particular. In professional circles as Esophageal sphincter it can be simplified as the Sphincter apply, The space between the entrance to the stomach and the esophagus. If it is functioning properly, it keeps the stomach acid in. The food to be digested safely in the stomach.
The tense diaphragm
Another crucial role is played by a third entity: the diaphragm, also called the diaphragm. As a connective tie-muscular plate between the chest-. Abdominal cavity it separates two areas with physiologically different functions. 1) It is attached to the costal arch. Like a dome, the diaphragm lies underneath and rises and falls with each breath. Unfortunately, for most people today Tense, because we no longer breathe properly and deeply enough.
Too little exercise and sitting for too long cause the diaphragm to atrophy more and more. The usual pumping movements that strengthen the muscles are absent. The shortened respiratory muscle builds up such tension that neighboring processes are disturbed in their functioning.
Heartburn during pregnancy
Also due to an existing pregnancy, can increase the risk of heartburn due to Expansion of the abdominal cavity and the partial displacement of the organs increase – especially in the last weeks of pregnancy.
This process is intensified by numerous Changes in hormonal balance, That affect the entire body. Special messenger substances have a relaxing effect on the muscles in pregnant women, for example – and thus also on the esophageal sphincter muscle. The result: the sphincter muscle slackens, so that it can only insufficiently seal the esophagus against the acidic stomach contents.
If you suffer from heartburn as a pregnant woman, you can already manage your symptoms via the Nutrition have a positive influence: Nuts and dried fruit are recommended, while you should avoid highly spiced and fatty foods. In addition to nuts and co. you can do our exercises against heartburn also in pregnancy without hesitation. We have compiled all the information you need on this special page.
Weakened sphincter muscle
Due to the fact that the esophagus passes through the diaphragm and opens into the stomach, all muscular movements along this path are of particular importance.
The shortened and overstretched respiratory muscle particularly affects the valve function of the sphincter muscle.
This sphincter is so weakened that it can no longer perform its task of closing the stomach to the esophagus. There is a reflux of stomach acid. Occasionally also of the stomach contents. Take a look at the following two diagrams.
© Designua | shutterstock.com (bearb.)
Functioning sphincter muscle
The sphincter muscle can perform its stomach-closing function without hindrance. It ensures that the gastric juice with the hydrochloric acid and the stomach contents remain in the stomach. Unpleasant discomfort does not occur.
Function of the sphincter muscle is impaired with heartburn
The sphincter muscle is impaired in its function. Stomach acid rises from the stomach up into the esophagus. Causes the typical symptoms.
Diaphragmatic hernia
Due to the paramount role of the diaphragm, it is not surprising that heartburn in rare cases can also be attributed to a Diaphragmatic hernia (hiatal hernia) goes. The disease diaphragmatic hernia is characterized by the fact that the diaphragm can no longer function as a demarcation between the chest and abdominal cavity. As a result, organs can move upwards from the stomach. Provide for all kinds of discomfort. Surgery, however, is only necessary if there are extremely severe symptoms of reflux disease and the risk of esophageal cancer increases as a result, or if complications such as bleeding occur.
Excursus: Muscles and fascia – tension that annoys the sphincter muscle
As you could see from our symptom checklist, in some cases heartburn is accompanied by less specific symptoms such as pain in the upper abdomen or chest pain, frequent throat clearing as well as coughing. Understanding the connection between the physical structures of our upper abdomen (esophagus, diaphragm) and the digestive tract (stomach and intestines) is crucial to our treatment method.
Muscles and fascia The respiratory muscles run through almost all areas of our body and play an important role in Pain development the predominant role. Fascia tie is densely packed with receptors that can transmit mechanical stimuli. Especially in the field of pain management they have become the focus of medicine. In the course of fascia research, it has been found that fascia is the only system "that has connection to all physiological functions in the body." 2)
So it is only logical that movement or lack of movement also affects the flexibility of the fasciae.
If tension builds up in muscles and fascia due to one-sided movement patterns, the surrounding periosteum receptors transmit the measured tension to the brain. We call these pain impulses Alarm pain. We understand by it functional pain, that indicate a malfunction in our body. In heartburn, it is the increasingly unstrained and cramped respiratory muscles that affect the sphincter at the entrance to the stomach. Download now our free PDF guide against heartburn. Start right away with the best exercises for a pain-free life!
3. Treatment of heartburn
Short& Scarce
– A change in diet is usually the basis for the treatment of heartburn. Various home remedies can provide short-term relief. – In cases of persistent and severe discomfort, medications such as proton pump inhibitors are usually used. – The administration of medications often has strong side effects and completely ignores the muscular-fascial cause of heartburn – even though sufferers could effectively address this themselves.
You want to know how you can fight the real cause of your heartburn yourself with simple exercises? Then read chapter 4.
A Change of diet and the use of Medication such as proton pump inhibitors or acid blockers (antacids that neutralize stomach acid) form the conventional therapy for patients with heartburn or diagnosed reflux disease. From our point of view, a healthy, mainly plant-based diet is also a very decisive point for a pain-free life.
3.1 Diet
Nutrition plays a central role in all processes in your body. Therefore, especially if you suffer from heartburn, you should high proportion of plant-based and alkaline foods optimize. By eating a variety of healthy foods and drinking enough water and herbal tea (especially a cup or two of chamomile tea), you can keep your stomach environment alkaline and prevent overproduction of stomach acid. You will probably notice after only a short time that you feel less stomach pain or fullness.
Your holistic health will benefit from a long-term change in diet. stimulants such as alcohol, coffee, nicotine, and foods high in fat and sugar should be avoided. Because these can not only negatively affect the gastric environment, but also weaken the sphincter (esophageal sphincter).
Even if we don't see eating habits and diet as the causes of your heartburn attacks, you can do your digestive tract a lot of good with an alkaline diet. You do not want to take acid-binding medications. In addition to our exercises, also try some home remedies for heartburn? Here are the eight most effective ones – from chewing gum to caraway seeds. They are in principle also suitable for children. Can usually quickly mitigate reflux symptoms. But please remember: they are not a permanent solution. They fight your symptoms because they can neutralize the stomach acid for a certain time, but not the causes and thus the triggers of your heartburn.
Baking soda (food soda): Sodium bicarbonate is a very well-known home remedy for heartburn and, by the way, is secreted by the mucous membranes in the mouth, throat and esophagus themselves. If you feed it to your body from the outside, no side effects are to be expected in normal quantities. To get yourself sodium bicarbonate, you don't even have to go to the doctor or a pharmacy. What is behind it? – Baking soda is a salt that reacts with stomach acid and can neutralize it relatively quickly. This often stops the typical burning sensation shortly after taking the medication. Even in the case of acute reflux symptoms, small amounts of dissolved food soda in half a glass of water are usually sufficient. – And what about baking soda? Since baking soda contains both acid and alkaline substances, it will not help you against reflux, unlike baking soda!
3.2 Medications: Acid blockers and proton pump inhibitors
If patients go to the doctor with the unpleasant symptoms of heartburn, they are usually prescribed tablets. Means of first choice are Acid blockers of different kinds. These antacids (anti = against; acidum = acid) are primarily intended to render stomach acid harmless so that it cannot trigger painful esophagitis and other secondary diseases. Antacids are known for their rapid effectiveness. Their good tolerability. However, it is questionable to what extent they reduce the effectiveness of the digestive juices and hinder healthy processes in the processing of the food pulp.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) – known drugs are omeprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole and rabeprazole – on the other hand, they inhibit acid production in the stomach. Since they are available over the counter, sufferers are happy to use them for self-medication of heartburn. The intake of proton pump inhibitors should be started at a high dose and reduced in the further course of treatment.
Although proton pump inhibitors relieve excruciating pain in many acute cases, they cannot eliminate the cause in the long term. On the contrary: if they are discontinued completely, around 50 percent of patients experience renewed symptoms.
In addition, long-term use of PPIs can have serious consequences – from vitamin deficiencies to infections of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. 3)
In addition, although proton pump inhibitors alleviate and control symptoms in many patients, there are just as many who continue to suffer from acid reflux and who do not respond to higher doses. 4)
Complications
Please do not misunderstand us: there are definitely cases in which acid blockers and agents such as omeprazole have their justification and perform well. If acute, acid-related stomach complaints are left untreated, serious secondary diseases may develop. gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers are the two most prominent. In fact, the duodenum is more commonly affected, but often comes into diagnostic view late due to mostly nonspecific symptoms.
3.3 Operations
If the reflux disease is far advanced and affected persons do not respond at all to other therapy methods, surgery may even become necessary. The standard procedure is to form a sleeve from the upper part of the stomach, which is placed around the lower end of the esophagus and sewn in place there. The aim is to increase the stability of the esophageal sphincter.
Despite this massive intervention, a significant proportion of patients continue to require anti-reflux medications after surgery. 5) Please also be aware that, like any operation, this procedure is accompanied by a high risk approach. For this reason, you should only have it performed if you have tried all other options – including our therapy – without success and your level of suffering is immense.
3.4 Treatment of heartburn according to Liebscher& Bracht
In contrast to conventional treatment methods, Liebscher& Bracht on sustainable and long-term Measures. We start where conventional treatment reaches its limits, usually out of ignorance. Our concept is based on the general principle of Helping people to help themselves. Here, your understanding of your own body is especially important to us. Because only on this basis you can do something for your own healing. This is exactly what we want to help you with. Once you have this basic understanding, we will of course accompany you further.
What does it mean exactly?
With the right exercises and special help for acute pain – for this we have our own, according to Liebscher& Bracht trained therapists also in your area – we are at your side with advice and action. Our concept consists of four basic building blocks, which individually, but also in combination, can help you in the long term with the vast majority of pain conditions. We recommend that you incorporate at least two of the four building blocks into your daily routine stretching and breathing exercises in any case should be present.
Take a close look at the different possibilities and decide for yourself how you want to start. After all, you are the best judge of your pain.
1. Osteoprere:
In our acute therapy, you will be treated by one of the Liebscher& Bracht trained therapists. It will press you certain alarm pain receptors on your periosteum – in the case of heartburn, they are located on the xiphoid process and on certain areas of your costal arch. The muscular-fascial tensions can thus return to normal at this point. Here you are sure to find a therapist near you who is trained in our method.
2. Light Osteoprere:
You don't have time to visit one of our therapists, but you would like to test our osteoprere for its effectiveness? No problem! Since 2018 we have a specially developed pusher set, with which you can easily "push away" your pain yourself in the best case scenario. You can find more information about the self-therapy with our pushers in a video of our pain specialist Roland Liebscher-Bracht. You know what to do. Have our presser set already? Then get started right away and try to push away your heartburn yourself with these two points.
3. Fascia rolling massage:
With the fascia rolling massage you can not only loosen overstretched muscles and fascia, but also remove accumulated waste products in the connective tie and stimulate repair processes. We recommend our fascia rollers and balls, especially before the tight stretches, because they help you to get into a more relaxed starting position. In this way, you not only get into the stretches more easily, but you can also set new stimuli that are better registered and processed by your body.
4. Constriction stretches:
With our stretching exercises or. Certain breathing exercises, which we will introduce to you in chapter 4, can counteract both existing and renewed shortening in the muscles and fasciae. With the exercises you effectively work on restoring the functionality of the diaphragm and thus also strengthen the function of the sphincter. Download our free PDF guide to heartburn now. Start directly with the best exercises for a pain-free life!
4. Exercises against heartburn
Short& Knapp
– We show you a video with effective exercises that can help with heartburn. – You can find more exercises in the exercise descriptions below. – In our checklist you will learn everything you need to know as a beginner to perform the exercises. – More effective exercises, fascia rolling massages and a light osteoprere are also available in our free guide.
Now you have the chance to finally do something yourself against your complaints. In this chapter we will show you helpful exercises to get rid of your heartburn.
With these Two simple exercises you can't go wrong. Just take a few minutes every day a few minutes Time and test it yourself. However, it is important that you stay with it continuously, because only in this way can you yourself ensure long-term freedom from pain. You want a few tips in advance on how to best perform the exercises or you have some initial doubts or questions? Then first take a look at our checklist under the exercise description.
In this video Roland Liebscher-Bracht shows you two effective exercises to get rid of your heartburn easily.