Tema-Ghana, Aug. 01, GNA – Mr. Samuel Atuahene Antwi, Nutrition Officer, Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, has urged individuals to identify and avoid foods that cause heartburns to them,
According to him heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat.
“If it keeps happening, it’s called gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD),” and that heartburn occurs when stomach acid moves up into the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach (esophagus),” he said.
He said when food is swallowed, a band of muscle around the bottom of the esophagus (lower esophageal sphincter) relaxes to allow food and liquid to flow down into the stomach.
Mr Antwi said this in Tema during the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility,” a Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination in order to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy.
The Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office set up the public health advocacy platform “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” to investigate the elements of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, persuading, and urging.
He said although heartburn is not life-threatening, chronic inflammation of the oesophagus can lead to something more serious, which may require stronger prescription medications or even surgery to ease the symptoms.
Mr. Antwi mentioned that people often associate heartburns with consuming alcohol, caffeinated, or carbonated beverages, and eating certain foods such as citrus fruits, spicy foods, or fried foods on an empty stomach.
He said eating large meals, eating just before going to bed, lying flat soon after eating, and taking certain medicines could also increase one’s chance of getting heartburn.
He therefore cautioned that it was crucial that one visit the health facility for diagnosis as soon as heartburn persists.
He said when heartburn becomes rampant, it may develop into another condition that affects the tissue lining in the oesophagus and eventually damages the tissue.
He said lifestyle changes, which may include eliminating or reducing certain foods, eating smaller meals, or staying upright for a couple of hours after eating, as various way of reducing the sympthom.
Mr. Antwi said heartburn was a common symptom that women experience during pregnancy due to changes in hormones and shifts in body shape.
He said the situation often leads to burning or pain in the chest, feeling bloated, burping frequently, feeling sick, and bringing up food.
He suggested that sitting up straight when eating, avoiding late eating, and keeping your head high on your bed than the foot as some ways of mitigating heartburn in pregnancy among others.
