Heartburn in pregnancy: Causes and Treatment

Heartburn in pregnancy: Causes and Treatment
How to prevent

Pregnancy Heartburn Heartburn called strong burning pain in the chest Chest pain Induced gastric juices, rising from the stomach into the esophagus. Heartburn during pregnancy - a very common problem. On average, one in ten women during pregnancy to varying degrees of suffering from this disorder.

Symptoms

Symptoms of heartburn during pregnancy do not differ from its symptoms in pregnant women as well as men. The main symptoms are pain or discomfort in the chest and stomach. Usually the pain comes soon after a person has something to eat or drink, but sometimes between ingestion and the appearance of heartburn takes several hours.

Heartburn can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but most often it affects women who are in the later stages - on average, after 27 weeks.

In addition to pain, heartburn can cause bloating, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

Causes

GERD occurs when the gastric juice in contact with the sensitive mucous membranes of the digestive system. It contains acid begins to break down the mucous membrane, which causes irritation and characteristic symptoms of heartburn.

The causes of heartburn in pregnant women may be:

Hormonal changes in the body;
Increasing pressure on the stomach of the uterus;
Relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (a small muscular ring which acts as a protective wall between the stomach and esophagus). Due to the relaxation of the sphincter of gastric juice begins to enter the esophagus.

The likelihood of heartburn during pregnancy is especially great if:

You had heartburn before you become pregnant;
You are pregnant is not the first time;
You are at a late stage of pregnancy.

Diagnostics

In the process of diagnosis the doctor will ask you a series of questions, such as:

As heartburn affects your everyday life?
How do you usually eat?
Have you tried before to treat heartburn?
Did you have heartburn or other stomach problems before pregnancy?

With the help of these issues, as well as a medical examination, doctors usually manage fairly quickly to establish the cause of heartburn, and choose the best method of treatment.

Treatment

In some cases, for the treatment of heartburn in pregnancy is enough to slightly change the diet and lifestyle - as a rule, it helps if the symptoms are mild or moderate.

If you have severe heartburn, or if lifestyle changes do not produce results, the doctor may prescribe an effective and safe medicine to a pregnant woman.

Medication

Antacids - are drugs that instantly relieve the symptoms of heartburn. They neutralize stomach acid, reducing its acidity, so that it ceases to irritate the esophageal mucosa.
Alginates. Some antacids are used in combination with drugs other group - alginate. They relieve the symptoms of indigestion caused by acid reflux Reflux: the failure of the esophagus . Alginates are also used to prevent acid reflux.

In most cases, using antacids and alginates can successfully control the symptoms of heartburn during pregnancy.

Most medications for heartburn is recommended to take only the appearance of its symptoms, but sometimes doctors are also advised to take them before meals or at bedtime to the symptoms do not appear at all.

Antacids and alginates are safe for pregnant women with the proviso that they are taken in accordance with the instructions, without exceeding the recommended dose. But in spite of their security and the fact that many drugs of this type are sold without a prescription, pregnant women should not take any medications for heartburn without first consulting your doctor.

If using antacids and alginates relieve the symptoms of heartburn is not possible, the doctor may prescribe the following drugs:

Ranitidine. This medication is usually recommended to be taken twice a day. It effectively relieves the symptoms of heartburn and rarely causes side effects.
Omeprazole is usually taken once a day. Improvement must come in five days, and if they do not, the dose should be increased. Omeprazole may cause side effects such as diarrhea, headache Headache , nausea, vomiting.

Drug-free treatment

Give up smoking. Generally, heartburn - is not the most serious consequence of smoking for pregnant women, so give up the habit, ideally, should be before pregnancy, but after that you can quit smoking and need. If you can not stop smoking on their own, ask for help from a doctor.

Avoid alcohol. Alcohol can cause heartburn, indigestion, and other problems related to the digestive system. In addition, alcohol, like tobacco, is extremely harmful for the health of the child.

Changes in diet. Pregnant women who suffer from heartburn, it is recommended to make in your diet the following changes:

There are frequent and small meals. Five or six meals heartburn - a lot better than it was three very hearty meals a day;
Do not eat at least three hours before bedtime;
Sit up straight while eating, to reduce the pressure of the uterus on the stomach;
Avoid heartburn triggers such as fruit juices and chocolate. It is also recommended to reduce the intake of spicy and oily foods and beverages containing caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks);
Sleeping on a high pillow, or even a few pillows - it helps prevent acid reflux during sleep.