Heartburn, despite its name, has nothing to do with the heart. It's a burning or uncomfortable feeling in the throat and chest when food and acid in the stomach move back up into the esophagus (the tube that moves food from the throat to the stomach). This is is known as gastroesophageal reflux (GER), or acid reflux. If it happens a lot and causes bothersome symptoms, it's called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Heartburn is common during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones can make the valve at the entrance to the stomach relax so that it doesn't close as it should, which lets acidic stomach contents back up into the esophagus. It can get worse later in pregnancy when the growing uterus presses up on the stomach.
To help ease heartburn pain or discomfort:
Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date Reviewed: Jan 1, 2024
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