Can heartburn make you feel nauseated?

Have you ever experienced a burning sensation in your chest after eating your favorite meal? If yes, then you’ve probably had heartburn. But what about feeling nauseated too?

Let’s dive into this topic and find out more!

What is Heartburn?

Heartburn is a common condition that occurs when acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus. This can cause a burning sensation in the chest area, which often gets worse after eating or lying down.

It’s caused by various factors like certain foods, stress levels, smoking, overeating etc. It’s said to occur when our body produces excess gastric acid or if we neglect some basic health habits.

How Does Heartburn Causes Nausea?

While it may seem surprising that heartburn could cause nausea too, it isn’t rare at all.

In fact, experiencing both together is quite a common phenomenon among people who suffer from chronic acid reflux disease.

But how does this happen? The exact mechanism behind it remains unknown, but here are some possible explanations:

1) Affecting the Sphincter Muscle

One reason why heartburn could lead to nausea involves its effect on the lower esophageal sphincter muscle (LES). This muscle separates our stomach from our esophagus and usually prevents anything within the stomach such as digestive juices and food from entering back through it.

However, if there’s an increase in pressure due to reasons such as obesity or pregnancy etc., LES opens unwantedly making way for regurgitation of these acids causing both – heartburn & nausea!

2) Irritating Vagal Reflexes

The vagus nerve plays an essential role in regulating digestive functions like – emptying of food from our stomachs and controlling acidity levels inside them. Irritation of these nerves may send signals to one part of our brain connected to these areas and cause nausea.

3) Occurring Together

Sometimes, symptoms of heartburn can be so severe that they trigger our body’s natural response to vomit. In such cases, we may experience both a burning sensation in the chest area as well as the urge to throw up.

Symptoms of Nausea Caused by Heartburn

It isn’t easy to differentiate between nausea caused by heartburn and other factors like motion sickness or pregnancy morning sickness. The best way is probably through considering some common symptoms listed below:

  • Dry heaving
  • Lightheadedness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Abdominal pain
  • Difficulty swallowing

However unpleasant these sensations might seem, there are ways you can manage them effectively.

Ways To Manage Both Heartburn & Nausea

The good news is that managing both conditions together isn’t difficult at all! Here are some useful tips you could implement today:

1) Monitor Your Diet

Certain food items tend to trigger acid reflux more than others like high-fat content meals etc. You must identify your diet’s triggers with trial n error!

2) Keep Yourself Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water helps neutralize stomach acids flowing back. It will also prevent dehydration responsible for worsening signs.

3) Don’t Lie Down Directly After Eating

Don’t lie down right after meals; instead wait for an hour before sleeping as it reduces pressure on LES muscles thus preventing acid influx into esophagus cavity resulting in less nauseous feeling too!

4) Lifestyle Changes Help Too!

Introducing lifestyle changes like – reducing carbonated drink consumption, not smoking alcohol intake & caffeine-rich drink habit is essential too ! It shall improve gastric performance over time (patience required!).

Some medications also reduce acidity levels too! So visit your doctor if it has become chronic lately!

Conclusion?

Although not everyone experiences nausea with heartburn, it’s not uncommon either. There is no silver bullet for relieving both symptoms, but monitoring diet habits and making some wise adjustments to lifestyle choices can go a long way in providing relief.

Remember, if you’re experiencing severe or chronic heartburn or nausea, don’t hesitate to seek medical advice as timely treatment could prevent further complications!

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