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Heartburn
Almost everybody has heartburn sometimes. Heartburn is a painful burning reaction in your chest or throat. It occurs when stomach acid backs up into your esophagus, the tube that takes food from your mouth to your stomach. If you have heartburn more than two times a week, you might have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). With GERD, the muscles at the end of your esophagus do not close firmly enough. This permits contents of the stomach to back up, or reflux, into the esophagus and annoy it.
Pregnancy, certain foods, alcohol and a few medications can bring on heartburn. Treating heartburn is vital because over time reflux can damage the esophagus. Over-the-counter medicines may assist. If the heartburn continues, you may require prescription medicines or surgery.
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