Heartburn is not harmless

Heartburn is an unpleasant feeling of heaviness and burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach contents back into the esophagus. One of the causes of heartburn, according to researchers from the United States, can be weakened muscle tone of the esophagus.

Using molecular diagnostics, scientists from the U.S. National Institute of diabetes and digestive diseases were able to show that the weakening of the muscle tone of the esophagus is one of the reasons for the development of gastro–esophageal reflux better known as heartburn. The degree of attenuation of the tone depends on the severity of the symptoms of the disease.



 

"If we manage to confirm our findings in a broader study, heartburn can be treated with drugs, corrective muscular movement of the oesophagus wall. These medications in combination with antacid remedies will help patients to get rid of heartburn", – the hope of the authors of the study.

 

Heartburn complain about the millions of people worldwide, and only in the US suffers from it to 35% of the population. The disease develops when the circular muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus, does not close the passage completely. As a result, the acid passes from the stomach into the esophagus, causing inflammation and indigestion. If heartburn makes itself known more than two times a week, doctors diagnose chronic reflux. The constant ingestion of acid in the esophagus can damage the tissues and cause the development of cancer.



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