Heartburn is characteristically a retrosternal sensation of burning occurring in waves and rising toward the neck. Sometimes it may be localized to a small area, e.g. the throat or xiphisternal area. In a fifth of patients the heartburn may radiate to the back (1). It may be accompanied by a reflux of acid into the mouth. Heartburn usually is worse 15-60 minutes after a meal, particularly if the meal was large in volume or of high fat content. Heartburn may be precipitated by bending or lying flat.
Note that the symptom of heartburn and that of dyspepsia are often, incorrectly, used interchangably. Heartburn may be a feature of dyspepsia whereas dyspepsia may occur without heartburn.
Reference:
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page