Every second woman suffers from heartburn during pregnancy. The occurrence of a symptom is associated with physiological changes in the body - in the early stages of pregnancy, the hormonal background changes, in the second and third trimester, an enlarged uterus affects the location of the stomach. Proper nutrition, folk remedies and safe medicines will help get rid of the discomfort..

Due to physiological causes, heartburn is very common during pregnancy Heartburn in pregnant women: Causes Heartburn is a burning sensation in the retrosternal region. The symptom appears when gastric juice enters the mucous membrane of the esophagus. The presence of heartburn does not directly affect the life and health of the expectant mother, but brings a lot of discomfort. Burning can occur for physiological reasons, due to nutritional errors, as a symptom of diseases of the digestive tract.

Physiological causes Most often, burning in the esophagus appears due to physiological changes in the body of a pregnant woman.. There are two main reasons why heartburn occurs in late pregnancy:.

Cause Explanation Relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter The lower esophageal sphincter is located between the esophagus and the stomach, separating the organs from each other. The normal function of the sphincter ensures that food enters the stomach from the esophagus, but not back..

Under the influence of progesterone (the main hormone of pregnancy), the muscle sphincter relaxes, and hydrochloric acid can enter from the stomach back into the esophagus. An increase in the size of the uterus (increased intra-abdominal pressure) The uterus in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy presses on neighboring organs. As a result, the stomach is located in the abdominal cavity more horizontally, and its volume decreases..

Less commonly, the cause of heartburn in early pregnancy is toxicosis with frequent vomiting and irritation of the esophageal mucosa with vomit..

Improper diet Often, the development of heartburn leads to improper nutrition. Provoking factors include overeating, eating before bed. Increases chance of heartburn being overweight.

Foods that cause heartburn include:.

citrus; chocolate; mint; strong tea; coffee; fatty food; hot dishes. The use of mint, chocolate and fatty foods leads to relaxation of the muscle sphincter and the reverse reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. Citrus fruits, coffee, strong tea and spicy spices increase the acidity of the stomach.

Diseases of the digestive tractIn most cases, persistent heartburn is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The disease is characterized by damage to the esophagus as a result of repeated reflux of gastric contents..

Less commonly, heartburn is a symptom of esophagitis, an inflammation of the esophagus.. For esophagitis, characteristic and other signs:.

swallowing disorder; pain in the chest area; symptom onset while eating. Another disease that can manifest itself as heartburn is gastritis.. The cause of gastritis may be the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, medication, bile reflux from the intestine. Additional symptoms of gastritis include: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite.

Heartburn During Pregnancy: Symptoms Heartburn, or a burning sensation in the esophagus, has the following characteristics:.

located behind the chest; often occurs after eating; increases in a horizontal position, with torso tilts; aggravated after coffee, strong tea, fatty foods; goes away after antacids. The burning sensation can last from a few minutes to an hour.. Attacks often recur 3-5 times a day.

Since the burning sensation is localized in the retrosternal region, sometimes angina pectoris can be mistaken for heartburn.. Shortness of breath, pallor of the skin, chest pain indicates damage to the heart.

Heartburn may be accompanied by other symptoms that occur due to the backflow of gastric juice into the esophagus:.

belching sour; chest pain (with esophagitis). These symptoms also occur after eating, when bending over, or at night..