Heartburn

Also called: Acid indigestion, Pyrosis

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Summary

Heartburn is a painful burning feeling in your chest or throat. It happens when stomach acid backs up into your esophagus, the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach.

If you have heartburn more than twice a week, you may have GERD. But you can have GERD without having heartburn.

Pregnancy, certain foods, alcohol, and some medications can bring on heartburn. Treating heartburn is important because over time reflux can damage the esophagus.

Over-the-counter medicines may help. If the heartburn continues, you may need prescription medicines or surgery.

If you have other symptoms such as crushing chest pain, it could be a heart attack. Get help immediately.

Start Here

Acid Reflux (GER and GERD) in Adults (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Heartburn (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Heartburn (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Esophageal pH Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Heartburn or Heart Attack: When to Worry (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Upper GI Series (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Antacids and Acid Reducers: OTC Relief for Heartburn and Acid Reflux (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Globus (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
How Can I Deal With Heartburn During Pregnancy? Also in Spanish
Warning: Aspirin-Containing Antacid Medicines Can Cause Bleeding (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

Heartburn (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Gastroesophageal Reflux (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Heartburn (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Children

Reflux in Children: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Reflux in Infants: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Bland diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Heartburn (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Taking antacids (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Heartburn is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

Heartburn

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