Night-time heartburn, sometimes also known as chronic heartburn, is a severe heartburn condition that shows no mercy. Attacks of this type of heartburn are typically severe, and last all too long for the victim. To the unwary person suffering from night-time heartburn, an attack might even feel as if they were experiencing a heart attack.
A burning pain in the chest, and shortness of breath, are two of the most key factors that will give rise to confusion over whether the person is really having a heart attack, or merely suffering from heartburn. And although a heart attack is a more ‘respectable’ condition to which you can admit to the neighbours, (especially if your partner calls in the paramedics!), heartburn is no laughing matter either. Heartburn, particularly one on the scale of the almost debilitating night-time heartburn, is an equally serious disorder, especially if left undiagnosed and untreated for a long period of time.
To fully understand, you need to know how heartburn occurs, and why. To put it simply, heartburn, or the burning sensation you get in your chest, most times after a heavy, or spicy meal, happens when the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, allowing the acids from your stomach to come back up.
In a non-heartburn sufferer, this lower esophageal sphincter – or LES – works by separating the esophagus from the intestine, only allowing a one way passage through from the esophagus to the intestine, thereby preventing the ‘reflux’ of any stomach content back into the esophagus.
When the LES becomes more or less permanently loose, allowing stomach acids a passage upwards very frequently, the person is generally thought to have a chronic case of heartburn. In most cases this is borne out by the sufferers themselves, as the heartburn manifests itself in the form of night-time heartburn as well as after a meal heartburn. This is a good indication that the sufferer should consult a doctor as soon as possible, since this could only be a prelude to a far more serious condition.
There are however, a few tips that you can use to alleviate night-time heartburn suffering in the interim, although remember these won’t be able to cure you and if you are experieincing this you definitely need to see your doctor about it. Eating a small dinner is always a good place to start with, and if you don’t include alcohol, and acidic food or beverages with your meal, then you’re already chalking up brownie points against heartburn. Eating at least two hours before bedtime, and avoiding caffeine rich beverages altogether will also help you in the long run.
Elevating the head of your bed, or even using a wedge shaped pillow to raise your torso higher than your stomach area should also help prevent you from being woken by this debilitating condition in the night.
However, the best thing that you can do for yourself if you suffer from nigh-ttime heartburn is to get a proper diagnosis, and get help. There’s simply no substitute for proper medical attention in this case.