Treating heartburn: Targeting source over symptom to end the burn for good

Do you experience a burning sensation in your chest and a sour or acidic taste in your mouth or throat after meals? You could be one of many people affected by heartburn, a condition that impacts one in five Australians.

Heartburn may start as an uncomfortable annoyance but can often affect a number of aspects of your life, including social interactions, productivity, and even sleep.

If you suffer from this frustrating condition, you’ve likely tried everything to help ease those annoying and uncomfortable symptoms, from natural remedies to over-the-counter medications promising relief.

While you might have found certain remedies to help ease the intensity of heartburn, the condition often returns leaving you longing for a lasting solution to remove the discomfort altogether.

To help you end the burn for good, we’ve compiled everything you need to know to understand how to treat the root of the issue, not just the symptoms.

What is heartburn and why does it happen?

Heartburn is a common form of indigestion that is typically associated with the symptom of a burning sensation in the chest and is a direct result of the contents of your stomach travelling back up into your oesophagus (the tube connecting your mouth and stomach).

This happens when the lower oesophagus sphincter, a band of muscle at the bottom of your oesophagus, doesn’t close properly, allowing the contents and stomach acid to travel back up instead of following the digestive track.

While factors like anxiety and smoking can contribute to heartburn, dietary choices play a significant role in the condition.

Sporadic heartburn can be triggered by things like eating too large a meal, consuming too much coffee, alcohol, fatty, citrus or spicing foods, or by bending and moving too much following a large meal. However, persistent heartburn is often linked to a range of medical conditions and can also be triggered by dietary factors, including consuming fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, and overeating. Heartburn can also be age-related with symptoms frequently reported in those over 50 years of age.

Signs & symptoms of heartburn

In addition to the burning sensation in the chest, there are a number of other symptoms associated with heartburn to watch out for, such as:

• Sour or acidic taste in your mouth;
• Discomfort in your upper abdomen;
• Stomach bloating;
• Difficulty swallowing;
• Feeling like food is stuck in the throat;
• Regurgitation;
• Nausea or vomiting;
• Sore throat or hoarseness.

These symptoms are estimated to affect 15-20 per cent of adults on a weekly basis and can last for minutes to hours, often beginning shortly after eating.

Managing the source of heartburn

Heartburn can be an intense condition, and while treating the symptoms may provide temporary relief, it’s crucial to treat the root of the issue to efficiently stop the condition from affecting your life.

Recent studies have shown that common over-the-counter medications, such as antacids, only offer effective and lasting relief for 50 per cent of individuals suffering from heartburn, some reporting no relief at all.

With food consumption being a common trigger, you can make lifestyle and dietary changes to help manage heartburn. This includes identifying and steering clear of foods that trigger the condition and avoiding eating late at night. You can also try to avoid things like lying down or bending over after eating to avoid triggering heartburn.

However, research on probiotics suggests that they can play a significant role in managing and treating the root cause of heartburn by nurturing a healthy gastric microbiome (the essential ecosystem of good bacteria in the stomach).

How probiotics can help

Factors such as diet, antibiotics, and long-term medication use can impact the function and acidity of the gastric microbiome. Consuming probiotics whether it’s in a supplement form or via different fermented foods is a great way to promote good bacteria and potentially prevent the growth of bad gut bacteria.

Probiotics, such as Inner Health Heartburn HP, is a specifically formulated probiotic designed to target and effectively address the underlying cause of heartburn. By nourishing beneficial gut bacteria and soothing the irritated stomach lining, this herbal probiotic, which includes proven liquorice extract and high levels of anti-inflammatory ingredients, has been found to alleviate digestive symptoms, including heartburn.

With one capsule taken daily, Inner Health Heartburn HP effectively relieves the burning sensation in the chest and digestive discomfort, providing long-term relief from recurring heartburn and indigestion symptoms.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.