Health encyclopaedia

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Diagnosis of Heartburn

Heartburn is very common and affects most people at some point. Attacks of heartburn are usually infrequent and quite mild.

If your heartburn is persistent and painful, it is important to see your doctor to rule out any underlying conditions. Prolonged pain in your chest that does not seem to be related to eating or drinking, may indicate a more serious condition such as a heart attack or angina. A heart attack may be suspected if intense pain is felt in the centre of the chest, and spreads to the arms (particularly the left) and lower jaw, or if the pain feels ‘vice-like’.

Stomach acid that is repeatedly regurgitated can damage the lining of the gullet. This eventually causes it to become narrower (a stricture), and can make swallowing difficult.

Persistent heartburn may be investigated using a barium meal. This procedure requires you to swallow a barium solution as a series of X-rays of the abdomen and chest are taken. The barium solution shows up the stomach and gullet more clearly, and the process of digestion can be seen.

You may also have an endoscopy to investigate the problem. This is when a flexible viewing tube is inserted into the gullet to examine the lining. A tissue sample (biopsy) may be removed and looked at more closely under a microscope.

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