Chest pain may force you to worry a bit, especially if you are a patient with heart problems. Chest pain may even take place as a common symptom associated with the acid reflux. Most of the medical experts even call chest discomfort related to acid reflux as NCCP i.e. Non Cardiac Chest Pain. Most of the times, NCCP mimics the angina pain or the chest pain related cardiac origin.
Hence, it has become very much essential to differentiate different forms/ types of chest pain, which may potentially ease one’s mind and help in the treatment of acid reflux in an effective way.
Location of the NCCP or Chest Pain Due to Acid Reflux
Cardiac chest pain as well as Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) appear beside the breastbone and create difficulty in distinguishing the two different types of chest pain. However, in case of chest pain because of acid reflux or GERD, only upper body of humans may affect and that too in some of the cases. Moreover, it usually centers at the back portion of the sternum or beneath it referred as epigastria.
Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) mainly accompanies a feeling of burning at the back portion of the breastbone and may absent in your left arm. Esophageal spasms constitute the constriction of various muscles present across one’s food pipe/tube.
These take place whenever GERD (acid reflux) or other similar medical problems create damages inside the esophagus. These spasms in turn may cause throat pain and chest pain in the upper portion of the individual’s chest.
Can Chest Pain be Caused by Acid Reflux?
Yes, chest pain can be caused by acid reflux. Chest pain because of acid reflux mainly takes place because of an abnormality in one’s stomach referred as hiatal hernia. This takes place whenever the upper portion of the patient stomach as well as LES moves over the diaphragm muscle i.e. the muscle responsible for separating one’s stomach from the chest.
The diaphragm normally helps in keeping the acid within our stomach. However, in case of the hiatal hernia problem, acid may move forward in the esophagus and cause various symptoms related to acid reflux and in turn, the problem of chest pain (mild to severe chest pain).
Along with this, you will come across various other common chest pain risk factors associated with the problem of acid reflux.
- Eating heavy meals or lying down after you have your meals
- Obesity or overweight condition
- Lying on the back or bending over after consuming heavy meals
- Eating snacks close to your bedtime
- Eating specific food items, such as chocolates, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and garlic, mint, and onions, fatty or spicy foods
- Drinking of specific beverages, like carbonated drinks, alcohol, tea and coffee
- Tobacco or cigarette smoking
- Taking special medicines, which include ibuprofen, aspirin, specific muscular relaxers and blood pressure medicines.
How to Treat Acid Reflux and the Resulting Chest Pain Problems?
One of the best ways to treat the problem of acid reflux and chest pain resulting from it is to strictly avoid all types of foods and beverages, which activate the corresponding symptoms. For this, you should essentially take necessary steps, as mentioned here.
- Consume small meals on a frequent basis during the entire day to treat chest pain caused by acid reflux
- Quit the activity of smoking
- Place suitable blocks under your head in the bed to raise your head minimum 4 to maximum 6 inches
- Never eat anything before minimum 2 to 3 hours of your lying down in the bed
- Try to sleep on a sofa or relaxing chair to take naps during the daytime to prevent the chest pain due to acid reflux
- Never opt to wear tight belts or tight clothes
- Lastly, you should take immediate steps to overcome from your overweight or obesity problem.
