Who among us did not already feel this feeling unpleasant to the level of the stomach, this discomfort which emerges most commonly after a heavy meal? This state, caused by the repression of the contents of the stomach in the oesophagus, we call it “heartburn” or “brûlements of stomach”. We thus refer to this feeling of burn which we feel on the level of the sternum. It is the consequence of an increase of acidity in the oesophagus.
This feeling of burn, which can extend from the chest to the throat, often occurs after the meals or at the time to lay down it, just after having eaten. The heartburn can occur as much in the children that in the adults, but they tend to increase with the age. In addition, they are also frequent in the expectant mothers during the second part of their pregnancy like at the obese people, because in particular of a greater pressure of their weights on their stomach.
The heartburn is certainly a picturesque term but they describe in a rather explicit way brûlement felt on the level of the sternum. The heartburn is most of the time the symptom of an acid backward flow, or gastro-oesophagien. Although often associated with a badly digested food, the backward flow gastro-œsophagien (RGO), is caused by the repression of the contents of the stomach in the oesophagus.
Heartburn, symptom of the acid backward flow
Between our stomach and the lower part of our oesophagus is as a valve which maintains a pressure, this valve has as a function to prevent the rise of what the stomach in the oesophagus contains. This valve is the lower sphincter œsophagien (ONESELF). The role of this valve is important if one wants to include/understand well the origin of the heartburn and the acid backward flow.
Thus, when the lower sphincter oesophagien is at completely closed rest i.e., the lower sphincter œsophagien prevents the gastric liquid from going up in the oesophagus. Then, it opens during swallowing to let pass the bolus. But it happens that sometimes, with certain food (fatty for example), or certain drugs or by adopting a certain lifestyle (cigarette, chewing gum…), the tonicity of the lower sphincter œsophagien decreases. What makes go up the gastric juice of the stomach in the oesophagus whose fragile wall reacts to the acidity of this juice. From where the feeling of burn and evils of stomach. SELF can then have difficulty of contracting, or of opening at the bad time.
When the acidity of the stomach becomes a chronic backward flow, we speak then about oesophagite. It is more seriously about the ignition of the lower part of the oesophagus. In extreme cases, that could even cause précancéreuses changes of the oesophagus. Although certain antiacids can be effective against the backward flow gastro-œsophagien, it is necessary to modify its practices of life and to supervise its food.
