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Heartburn and IBS

When people think of irritable bowel syndrome, they might think of constipation and diarrhoea, stomach pains and flatulence as being the main symptoms but there are many other symptoms can accompany IBS, including heartburn.

Before explaining what heartburn is, what causes it, and how you can treat it, it might help if we give a brief outline of how the digestive process works and what Irritable Bowel Syndrome actually is.

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

During normal digestion, the food is propelled through the intestines by muscular contractions. As the food is being forced through the intestines there are areas of hold up which is known as segmentation. This entire process is known as peristalsis or motility and most people are unaware that this is even taking place. People with IBS, however, are often overly sensitive to this process, particularly when under stress, and can experience pain, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhoea, heartburn, acid reflux, mucous in the stools and a feeling of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement.

IBS can be described as a loss of coordination of the muscular contractions during the process of digestion so in other words, it is a malfunction of the digestive system and because the digestive system runs from the mouth to the anus, symptoms can arise at any point along the digestive tract. Heartburn and acid reflux for example occurs in the upper digestive tract.

What is heartburn and how to deal with it?

Heartburn is an uncomfortable condition that gives a sensation of burning and pain in the chest, which is caused by the acidic contents of the stomach being forced back upwards into the oesophagus during the process of digestion, possibly because the stomach is trying to process the contents too quickly.

Many factors can induce heartburn including eating too much, drinking a lot of alcohol, smoking, stress, being overweight and eating certain foods that your body finds difficult to tolerate. A lot of people complain about heartburn and acid reflux when they bend over or lie down.

It is important to note that just because you have heartburn it doesn’t necessarily mean you have IBS and of course not everyone with IBS will experience heartburn.

If you suffer from heartburn then first of all you should try to identify if there is anything in your diet that is causing it and modify your diet accordingly. It is also wise to speak to your doctor who will be able to make a proper diagnosis and rule out any other potential causes.

There are a number of medications available to treat heartburn, both over the counter and on prescription with antacids being the most commonly used. Antacids work as the name suggests, they neutralise the acid in the gut. A word of caution though, antacids can inhibit the absorption of other medicines so it is best seek advice from your doctor if you are taking any other medication or if you are pregnant or have any existing health complaints.