Treatment usually consists of a change of eating habits. This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz toward the end of this lesson. What causes heartburn When you eat too much or eat food that causes the stomach to secrete excess acids, those stomach acids may leak from the stomach back up into the esophagus, causing a burning pain or dull ache just about where you think your heart ought to be, right behind your breastbone. Heartburn can also occur if you exercise too soon after a big meal.
Exercise often slows down the digestive process, resulting in excess acids splashing around.
Also, laying down right after eating a big meal can result in stomach acid irritating the upper regions of the stomach, as well as the esophagus. Continual irritation can actually cause damage to the membranes and make them even more sensitive to an acid attack. Be cautious of heart attacks Since heartburn results in a pain right behind the breastbone, heart attacks may sometimes be mistaken for heartburn and vice versa. You should be able to recognize the difference between them. Signals of heart attack are not only mild or intense pain in the same area of heartburn, but it is accompanied by dizziness, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath, weakness, and anxiety.