“You know you’re getting older, when the fire in your belly is actually acid reflux.” Almost everyone has experienced heartburn at some point in their life. In fact, it’s reported that nearly 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month. Do you suffer from frequent heartburn? If yes, keep reading. What’s the Difference Between Heartburn and Acid Reflux? Many people use the terms acid reflux, heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) interchangeably, despite them being different things. To clear things up: Heartburn is a sensation of tightness, pain or discomfort in the middle of the chest that can — but doesn’t always — follow an occurrence of acid reflux. It has nothing to do with the heart, and everything to do with the digestion system. Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid regurgitates up into the esophagus. This happens due to an issue with the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES). The LES is the of muscle at the entrance of the stomach valve. Its job is to open and close as food passes through it. If it doesn’t close all the way, or if it opens too often stomach acid can make its way into the esophagus which is what we call Read more…