Every person experiences heartburn at some time in our lives. Of course the heartburn can vary in degree and some people might experience more heartburn pain than others. Luckily there are a lot of methods available with which we can ease our heartburn conditions.
Frequent heartburn, however, might turn into a serious problem. It might also have an unfortunate side effect that can occur due to frequent heartburn irritations. This complication is a heartburn ulcer.
What is an heartburn ulcer?
Many people who suffer from frequent heartburn have no idea that they are actually at risk of suffering from a heartburn ulcer. A heartburn ulcer occurs when the lining of the esophagus deteriorates due to the effects of the stomach acid that has been repeatedly refluxed into the esophagus. Due to the corrosive effect the acid has on the esophagus lining, a hole is burned through the lower section of the esophagus.
Generally heartburn ulcers are located in the lower section of the esophagus and they are sometimes connected to GERD disease. Gerd is chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease.
A lot of people think that heartburn ulcers are contagious, which however is a myth. You cannot catch heartburn ulcers from anyone. An ulcer is usually a symptom of another problem.
What causes heartburn ulcers?
When heartburn ulcers erode the lining of the esophagus there is a strong possiibility that bleeding can occur. This condition in turn may lead to iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, you shouldn't let it come that far.
The main cause of heartburn ulcers is the destruction of the esophagus lining as mentioned before. This is done by the H. Pyloridus bacteria. H. Pyloridus bacteria are usually found in the stomach. When the stomach acid reflux back into the esophagus the H. Pyloridus bacteria is usually brought into contact with the esophagus. Repeated acid reflux will bring a high amount of stomach H. Pyloridus bacteria into the esophagus where it will be strong enough to begin eating away at the esophagus lining and this paves the way for the development of a heartburn ulcer.
Other reasons why heartburn ulcers can develop are the continuous usage of anti-inflammatory medications (that can also lead to acid drug relfux), smoking, the use of cigarettes and nicotine products as well as tobacco chewing.
Furthermore, the digestive disorders of GERD and bulimia are also thought to have connections with heartburn ulcers.
How can an ulcer be diagnosed?
If your doctor suspects that a heartburn ulcer has developed inside you he will refer you to a gastroenterologist. A barium x-ray or endoscopy will be taken to see if you do indeed have a ulcer in your stomach area.
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People who have developed a heartburn ulcer suffer from bleeding and perforation of the esophagus. Today, however, heartburn ulcers can be treated. First the underlying cause of the problem must be found and then treatment can be started. One of the common treatments that are available is the use of antibiotics to eradicate H. pyloridus