If you are expecting a baby, have you ever felt a strange feeling like a burning sensation in the middle of your chest, accompanied by a sour taste in your throat, after eating? Although this is most common in the last three months of pregnancy, some people may experience this discomfort throughout their pregnancy . Many mothers have experienced this. We call it 'heartburn'. So is this really a heart problem? Why does this happen? What can we do about it? Let's find out exactly what all this is about today.
What exactly is heartburn?
Although it is called 'heartburn', it has nothing to do with our heart. However, it got its name because some of the symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack.
Simply put, this happens when the acidic stomach acid in our stomach flows back up into our esophagus. Imagine that there is a ring of muscle between our stomach and our esophagus. In medicine, we call this the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES . When we eat, this opening opens and the food goes into the stomach, and then it closes tightly again. This prevents the acid in the stomach from coming up.
However, this process changes during pregnancy due to two main factors:
1. Hormonal changes: During pregnancy, our body's hormone levels change a lot. Due to the effects of these hormones, the muscular ring that looks like a gate (LES) that I mentioned loosens up a bit. Then it doesn't close properly, allowing a little room for stomach acid to come up.
2. Pressure from the uterus: As the baby grows day by day, your uterus also grows. This growing uterus pushes directly on your stomach. This pressure also pushes the contents of the stomach, especially acid, upward.
If you didn't have this type of chest pain before you got pregnant, don't worry. This condition will most likely go away completely after the baby is born.
What are the symptoms of heartburn during pregnancy?
The way each person feels when this condition occurs can be different. But there are some common symptoms that are seen. Let's take a look at what they are.
| Symptom | How does that feel? |
|---|---|
| Chest inflammation | A burning sensation behind the middle bone of the chest (sternum). This can last from a few minutes to a few hours, especially after eating. |
| Chest pain | Feeling like your chest hurts when you bend forward, lie down, or after eating. |
| Sour taste in the throat | A burning sensation in the throat, accompanied by a hot, sour, and sometimes salty feeling in the back of the mouth. This is what we call acid reflux. |
| Belching | Going to the gym frequently. |
| Persistent cough | A persistent dry cough without any other cause. |
| Change in voice | Hoarseness or change in voice. |
Sometimes, this acid buildup can even cause symptoms of asthma.
What can be done to reduce this chest inflammation?
Without the use of medication, you can control this discomfort to a great extent by making some small changes to your lifestyle and eating habits . Let's see what they are.
| Advice | Why is that? |
|---|---|
| Don't eat a lot at once, eat little by little. | Instead of 3 main meals a day, eat 5 or 6 small meals. This will reduce the amount of acid coming up because the stomach won't fill up all at once. |
| Avoid certain foods | This condition can be aggravated by things like too much oil, fried, spicy foods, chocolate, coffee, and mint. Try cutting back on these a bit. |
| Don't drink a lot of water with meals. | Drinking a lot of water while eating can increase stomach pressure and cause acid to come up. So drink water during meals. |
| Don't lie down while eating. | Don't lie down for at least 2 hours after eating. Sit up and walk around a bit. |
| Sleep with your head elevated. | When sleeping, keep the head of the bed slightly higher than the foot of the bed. Sleeping with your head elevated on two or three pillows can also help with this. |
| Wear loose, non-constricting clothing. | Wearing tight clothing around your stomach puts unnecessary pressure on your stomach. So wear loose, comfortable clothing. |
| Turn to your left and sleep. | Our stomach is located on the left side of the body. When we sleep on our left side, gravity reduces the chance of acid entering the esophagus. |
When should I see a doctor?
You can try the above steps. However, if your chest pain doesn't go away, or if it gets worse day by day, be sure to talk to your doctor .
Most importantly: Do not take over-the-counter antacids at the pharmacy without first consulting your doctor, as some medications are not suitable for the baby during pregnancy.
Be sure to talk to your doctor in the following cases:
- If you feel like you need to buy an antacid from the pharmacy.
- If your voice becomes very hoarse, if it sounds like a rat, if you vomit, or if you have difficulty swallowing food.
- If you can't even sleep properly at night because of this chest pain .
Don't worry. Your doctor will examine your condition and recommend medications that are suitable for pregnancy and safe for both you and your baby.
Take-Home Message
- Heartburn during pregnancy is a very common condition caused by hormones and the baby's growth.
- This can be largely controlled by changing eating habits, improving your sleeping position, and wearing loose clothing.
- Do not buy any antacids from the pharmacy without consulting your doctor.
- This condition usually goes away almost completely after the baby is born, so don't worry too much about it.
- If symptoms are severe or interfere with your daily activities, especially sleep, be sure to talk to your doctor.
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