Heartburn is a burning sensation and pain that is felt in the chest area. It is caused by the reflux of stomach acids in the esophagus. It could also be indicative of a more serious disease such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. If this becomes chronic, it may lead to a more serious esophageal damage such as scarring, inflammation or lead to cancer of the esophagus, heartburn that occurs at night can be signal that the disease has gone to an advanced stage. In addition, it could cause loss of sleep, and waking up in the middle of the night. Nighttime heartburn has been found out to result from drinking too much carbonated drinks and by taking prescription sleeping pills.
If you have experienced being disturbed from your sleep several times a month because of the pain and burning sensation caused by heartburn, stay away from carbonated drinks. If you are taking anti anxiety pills such as Valium or Xanax, you may ask your doctor to prescribe safer medications if you want to avoid the condition and its consequences. Many people do not take heartburn seriously and treats it only with over the counter medications or just hope it will go away, as indeed it does. However, since heartburn can be a herald of a more serious disease, it is always better to seek medical attention, before attempting any cure. If you happen to have other unknown conditions, taking a medicine without a doctor’s advice could be harmful to you.
You can also ask your doctor about some medications that do not cause nighttime heartburn. Other causes of it are being overweight, having a hypertension, asthma and sleep disorders. If you have any one of these conditions, then it could be the reason why you are having nighttime heartburn. Losing weight and a regular exercise can significantly reduce your chances of having the condition.
A patient is also advised usually to stop smoking. Heartburn is easy to cure. By ensuring that you are free of the risk factors, you can even become immune from it. Keeping up a healthy lifestyle can ensure you that you will effectively avoid any occurrence of heartburn in your life.
