Just about everyone suffers from the symptoms of heartburn at one time or another. Maybe they had too much to eat or consumed something they likely shouldn't have and paid the price with heartburn. Heartburn, also known as acid reflux, is a fiery feeling in your throat and chest that's highly unpleasant. But really, heartburn is completely unrelated to your heart. The term is really a misnomer.

Heartburn affects your esophagus, throat and cardiac sphincter. It might seem like the problem is related to your heart, but in fact it just happens to be occurring nearby. This is how come so many people wonder if there's something wrong with their heart when they have an episode of heartburn. It can be very alarming to people who experience heartburn for the first time, because it can feel like a problem with the heart.

Heartburn symptoms can be different in every person and even throughout individual episodes. The discomfort usually begins in the chest and moves through the esophagus and throat. Commonly, heartburn is experienced as a painful burning sensation in the chest area. However, there are other symptoms to watch out for as well. These include trouble swallowing, a painful throat, hoarseness in the throat, or a sensation that there's some food caught in your throat. Other symptoms of heartburn include a persistent cough.

Visit your doctor if the condition persists or seems to get worse. There are lots of pharmaceutical products available that will help you get heartburn relief. Your health care professional will be able to recommend an appropriate course of treatment. Typically, this will include some kind of medication to counteract stomach acids, as well as changes to your usual habits.

Prevention is the best cure for heartburn symptoms. If you suffer from this condition on a regular basis, you need to make some changes to your regular habits. For example, following a meal, it's important to remain erect. It's generally recommend that you remain seated, holding your head up and not lying down till well after you have digested your meal. One more suggestion is to make sure your head is raised when you're sleeping, or even try to sleep sitting up. Your goal should be to maintain the entire upper portion of your body in an elevated position, not just your head.

You also need to pay attention to what you eat. Take note of the foods that tend to trigger a case of heartburn, and avoid them. You also need to be aware of how much you're eating at one sitting. Research indicates that eating a large meal causes too much acid to be produced in the stomach, which often results in a case of heartburn. Consuming smaller meals more often will keep your stomach acid levels in line.