BBC Morning Live doctor reveals how to prevent Christmas heartburn with simple trick
People who overindulge in festive foods may suffer from worse heartburn - but persistent chest pains could be a sign of something far more serious, a BBC Morning Live doctor has warned.
Dr Xand Van Tulleken explained that a burning sensation in the chest, which many experience after a large Christmas dinner, is caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat - also called acid reflux.
He said: "Heartburn is one of the things your stomach does is break the food up and mix it with acid. The point of the acid is not just to digest your food, but actually to clean and sterilise it, so that acid is very powerful".
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The 46-year-old added: "Your stomach is designed to protect yourself from the acid so it doesn’t burn your stomach, so your stomach is lined really well. But if you have a big meal and the acid splashes up out of your stomach into your food pipe, into your oesophagus, then that can literally cause a chemical burn that can be very painful".
People suffering from heartburn may also get taste an unpleasant sour flavour thanks to their stomach acid, along with a recurring cough or hiccups, according to the NHS. They may also experience a hoarse voice, bad breath, bloating or nausea, the Mirror reports.
The doctor warned that the painful process of acid reflux can be worsened by particular triggers. He outlined how eating large portions, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, and spicy foods can all increase your chances of heartburn.
For these reasons, it is unsurprising that the chest pains are a particular issue over the festive period. In fact, heartburn is the most commonly searched ailment on the NHS website over Christmas.
To address heartburn issues, Dr Xand urged viewers to consider how often they were experiencing chest pains.
He said: "Is it every meal? It’s very unlikely you're just getting it after Christmas dinner or once a year. Instead you’re going to be getting it fairly regularly and you can dismiss it because it goes away, but actually if you’ve got a cupboard full of tablets to reduce the acids - those sort of things - then start to think I might have a bit of an issue."
The doctor also recommended paying attention to the foods that that trigger your acid reflux, and timing your meals correctly.
He said: "Think about what might be causing it, particularity related to foods because if you can avoid those foods, then you’ll get less irritation"
Dr Xand continued: "Avoid eating late. Stop eating chocolate 3 to 4 hours before bed because as you lie down your reflux can get worse because the acid can get into your food pipe more easily."
Finally, he recommends rethinking your sleeping position to prevent stomach acid from travelling up your food pipe.
The doctor advised: "If you have an old phone book or a brick or something like that, you can use it to prop up the head of your bed and that slight slope will bring the stomach contents down."
Dr Xand stressed that if your heartburn persists despite these preventative measures, then you should contact your GP. He explained that irritation of your oesophagus can lead to a condition called Barrett's oesophagus, whereby the cells on the inner lining of your digestive tube begin to change, and can eventually become cancerous.
He said: "it’s really important if you have long-term heartburn and you’re struggling to manage, talk to your doctor. It might be something else entirely, so check in with your GP."
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