STEVEN PEIKIN, MD: When people come with heartburn, what we call their problem is gastro esophageal reflux. And what that means is that food and acid that should be in the stomach refluxes back up into the esophagus. That's gastro esophageal reflux. The most common symptom of gastro esophageal reflux is heartburn.
STUART SPECHLER, MD: Heartburn is a burning sensation that's usually located in the chest. A lot of patients say, "I feel it behind the breastbone."
STEVEN PEIKIN, MD: The second most common symptom of gastro esophageal reflux is regurgitation. That may be that sour taste in the mouth that you feel maybe when you bend over to tie your shoes or when you're laying down at night.
ANNOUNCER: The problem is in the design of the plumbing.
STUART SPECHLER, MD: Ordinarily, there's a muscle arrangement at the end of the esophagus-it's called the lower esophageal sphincter-and what that muscle is supposed to do is to squeeze, and by squeezing just keep material down in the stomach where it belongs. That muscle obviously has to relax when you eat. Otherwise things wouldn't get through. But what happens is, when you swallow that muscle relaxes. It allows the food to enter into the stomach, and then it's supposed to close back up and prevent reflux.
In people who have heartburn, that muscle, for whatever reason, is not functioning very well and you have a leaky valve. The lower esophageal sphincter is not working... Acid gets into the esophagus, and that triggers heartburn.
ANNOUNCER: Most of the time heartburn is no threat to health. And simple changes in eating habits and daily routines can lessen the number of episodes in the future.
