Heartburn is a painful, burning sensation in the chest or throat that occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, which irritates its sensitive lining. The esophagus is the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.
NORMAL DIGESTION
DIGESTION LEADING TO HEARTBURN
The muscle between the esophagus and the stomach is called the lower esophageal sphincter (L.E.S.). It’s responsible for opening to let food down into the stomach and closing to keeping stomach acids out of the esophagus. When the lower esophageal sphincter becomes too relaxed, it can allow stomach acid to flow backward into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn.
60 million American adults are affected by heartburn, with an estimated 30 million suffering from frequent heartburn. Frequent heartburn is defined as experiencing heartburn symptoms two or more days a week.