Most people experience heartburn at one point or another in their lives. It disturbs the sleep of many unfortunate sufferers. You might think, then, that the question "what does heartburn feel like?" is a simple one. It can be misleading, however. Heartburn is typically felt as a burning sensation in the chest. It can also burn in the throat as well. While it feels like it is in the chest, heartburn has actually nothing to do with heart health. It is actually the esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach, that's filling with acid and causing that pain. It usually hurts in the area near the heart, however, so that leads to confusion.


The problem with heartburn is that other, more serious problems feel just like it. Many diseases actually involved with the heart hurt in similar ways. Heart attacks and angina can feel similar as well. If your family has a history with heart disease, it may be wise to play it safe. If you have a history, you better be very careful not to dismiss pain as heartburn.


If you always have had heartburn, and it feels exactly the same as you've always had it, it could be safe to go ahead and treat it like that is what it is (consult a doctor ahead of time and ask if this is safe for you). If you decide to take steps to ease your heartburn, you have several options.


If you are trying to sleep, try to prop you body up so it's not lying flat. This may help keep the acid in the stomach. Some say that water helps to dull the pain; you may want to try drinking a couple of glasses of water if you haven't tried this before. The problem with this is that you don't want to drink a lot of water right before going to bed.


If you feel the need to medicate it, you can try your own solution of baking soda and water (unless you are watching your salt intake for health reasons such as hypertension, pregnancy or nursing). You can also try antacids that are sold in myriads of brands and colors. They often work, but reportedly not for long. Other medications slow the stomach's production of its acid, but these are said to take a longer time to work—but they may last for a longer period of time.


If you are having continuous problems, you should always consult a doctor, as with any other health issue. Only your doctor can give you advice on how to treat disease. There are some examples of heartburn progressing to something worse (like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)), so you should avoid ignoring constant heartburn trouble.


If you are questioning what does heartburn feel like, realize that you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from heartburn. Just make sure you don't dismiss chest pain if you or your family has a history of heart disease. If you ever have serious concerns, the best thing to do is to consult a doctor and discover the path to a more pain-free life.


Learn more about foods that Cause Heartburn.

You may experience the symptoms of heartburn on a regular basis, but do you know how to tell if it is a sign of something far more dangerous? In most cases heartburn is nothing more than an annoyance and discomfort, but it can in fact be a sign of something more serious, such as a heart problem.


Typical heartburn is a burning or stinging sensation that starts somewhere in the top of your stomach or lower chest. It may just remain in the chest area or could rise up into the bottom of your throat. You may get a strong acid taste in your mouth as well. This burning sensation is a result of stomach acids or food and drink escaping your stomach and going up through the digestive tract. If this occurs right after a meal or even when you are leaning forward then chances are it is nothing more than a mild case of heartburn.


There are some things that could tip you off to something beyond simple heartburn. One big clue to something possibly being wrong in your body is a sudden development of consistent heartburn when you have never or rarely had it before. A change in the types of food you are eating could cause this, but if you are eating the same and it suddenly starts occurring regularly, be safe and visit your doctor.


If you experience a lot of chest pain with the heartburn you may want to see your doctor as well. This is especially true if the chest pain and burning sensation is happening even when you have an empty stomach.


Symptoms of heartburn that does not respond quickly to an antacid or continually comes back could be a sign of something more serious. Antacids should ease off normal heartburn relatively quickly. You do not want to experience complications that can arise from frequent symptoms of heartburn. There are ways to prevent the contents of your stomach from harming your esophagus, if you take preventative measures.


If you are experiencing it more than a couple times a week you should see your doctor and discuss a remedy for the condition. If left untreated, more serious complications could develop in the future. Even the common symptoms of heartburn can lead into a more serious condition if you suffer it regularly and do nothing about it. Stomach acid backing up into your esophagus is not healthy for your body and will eventually have consequences.


Frequent heartburn could also be a sign that your body does not handle certain types of food or drink very well. Pay close attention to what you are putting into your body right before the heartburn hits. You may be able to eliminate the problem by cutting out certain foods or beverages.

There are many individuals that do not suffer from heartburn during the day but frequently experience nighttime heartburn. The reason that you may experience nighttime heartburn and not during the rest of the day is that fact that you are lying down at night when you sleep. This makes it much easier for pressure and increased stomach acid to escape out of the sphincter into your esophagus. Many times if you have just eaten or had a very large meal you will have nighttime heartburn.


One of the best ways to not have nighttime heartburn is to not eat within 2 to 3 hours of going to bed. This means those late night snacks are prohibited. If you tend to eat a large dinner you should try to change your main meal to lunch and have a lighter dinner so your body will be able to digest the food faster and you will have less acid production.


It is recommended that instead of eating three large meals you spread your meals out into 5 or 6 much smaller meals.  This will allow your digestive system to process your food intake much more efficiently and is actually better for you in the long run.


As with any type of heartburn you need to avoid those foods that give you heartburn. Every individual will have different foods that bother him or her and cause heartburn. You should keep a food diary to determine which foods cause problems. Foods such as citrus fruits, coffee, spicy foods, juices, beans, and chocolate have all been known to aggravate heartburn.


Propping yourself up on pillows and sleeping on a slight incline can compensate for the change in gravity and stop nighttime heartburn. Also it is scientifically proven the sleeping on your left side helps with digestion and sleeping on your right side will only increase your heartburn. Sleeping on the left also decreases stomach acid.


You should never sleep in tight or restrictive clothing as they will squeeze your stomach, which can force food and acid into your esophageal passage. Alcohol can also increase acid production in your stomach and it also relaxes your sphincter so you need to either avoid alcohol or consume it early enough in the day that it will not affect you at night.


If you have tried many types of treatments for your heartburn and have not found any relief then you should go see your doctor as you may have a more serious health issue.  Avoid prolonged use of antacids as these tend to obscure symptoms of other conditions.