CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly everyone has experienced heartburn at least once in their life.
It's not fun, but there are some ways to get rid of it -- or at least relieve the symptoms.
Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart: FACT
Despite being called heartburn, the condition has nothing to do with the heart.
If you’ve had it, you know heartburn is typically felt in your lower chest because that’s where the condition originates -- in the muscle at the end of your esophagus.
The esophagus is the pipe that carries food from your mouth to your stomach.
Heartburn occurs when that pipe doesn’t close properly allowing stomach acid to get in and cause issues.
Chewing gum can help heartburn: FACT
Chewing gum helps heartburn because it causes you to make more saliva.
Saliva acts as a buffer to acid. Chewing gum also makes you swallow more which helps to push acid down so it doesn’t creep up your esophagus.
Weight has no impact on heartburn: FICTION
If you’re overweight, losing weight can make a major difference. The pressure that extra pounds put on your stomach can actually allow acid get into your esophagus -- losing weight can help to alleviate that pressure.
In many cases, how much you weigh has a greater impact on your heartburn than the types of foods you eat.
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