What causes stomach heartburn and how is it treated?

Stomach heartburn may be caused by improper diet, negative emotions, gastroesophageal reflux, gastritis, duodenal ulcers, and other reasons. It is recommended to seek medical attention promptly, identify the underlying cause, and receive symptomatic treatment under the guidance of a qualified physician. Specific analysis is as follows:

1. Improper diet: Excessive intake of spicy foods such as chili peppers and scallions, eating too quickly or overeating can irritate the gastric mucosa, leading to excessive gastric acid secretion and resulting in stomach heartburn. Patients are advised to adjust their diet by consuming easily digestible foods such as millet porridge and steamed egg custard, chew food thoroughly, eat slowly, and avoid overeating.

2. Negative emotions: Long-term mental stress, anxiety, and similar emotional states may lead to stomach heartburn. Emotional stress can affect the regulatory function of the nervous system, thereby influencing gastric acid secretion. Patients are advised to relieve stress through meditation, listening to soothing music, and maintaining a positive mood.

3. Gastroesophageal reflux: This may be caused by factors such as obesity and long-term alcohol consumption. The condition may result in dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing food residue to reflux into the esophagus, irritating the esophageal mucosa and causing heartburn. Symptoms may also include upper abdominal bloating and belching. Patients are advised to take medications such as cisapride tablets, rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets, or lansoprazole tablets under a doctor’s supervision to alleviate symptoms.

4. Gastritis: This may be caused by Helicobacter pylori infection, medication irritation, and other factors. In patients with gastritis, damage to the gastric mucosa may slow gastric motility, causing food to accumulate in the stomach and leading to heartburn. Additional symptoms may include nausea and vomiting. Patients should strictly follow medical advice and use medications such as compound pepsin capsules, bismuth potassium citrate tablets, or colloidal bismuth pectin capsules for treatment.

5. Duodenal ulcer: This may be associated with heavy smoking, bile reflux, and other factors. Ulcers may disrupt intestinal function, potentially causing gastric fluid to flow backward and induce heartburn. Other symptoms may include periodic stomach pain and loss of appetite. Patients should follow medical instructions to take medications such as bismuth potassium citrate tablets, belladonna tablets, or cimetidine tablets for treatment.

In daily life, patients are advised to focus on staying warm and protecting against cold. During cold weather, using heating patches on the abdomen may help. Avoiding hard-to-digest foods such as chives and grilled meat can also help reduce the occurrence of heartburn symptoms.