OVERVIEW

A burning sensation in your chest, directly behind your breastbone, is called heartburn. Usually, the discomfort gets worse in the evening, after eating, or when you’re bending over or lying down.

Heartburn is sometimes common and not to be concerned about. With lifestyle modifications and over-the-counter drugs, the majority of people can self-treat their heartburn discomfort.

Frequent heartburn or heartburn that disrupts your everyday activities could be signs of a more serious illness that needs to be treated by a doctor.

SYMPTOMS

The signs and symptoms of heartburn may include the following:

• Burning sensation behind the breastbone
• Sour or acidic taste in the mouth
• Bad breath
• Irritation of the throat
• Persistent coughing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Excessive belching

CAUSES

Stomach acid can reflux into the esophagus, the tube that transports food from your mouth to your stomach, causing heartburn.

Heartburn can result from stomach acid flowing back up into the esophagus (acid reflux) if the lower esophageal sphincter isn’t functioning properly. If you’re lying down or hunched over, the acid backup can be worse.

TREATMENT

Available treatments we offer, includes but not limited to:

• Esomeprazole (Nexium)
• Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• Omeprazole (Prilosec)
• Pantoprazole (Protonix)
• Rabeprazole (Aciphex)
• Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)