I am not kidding. Those same evil helicobacters that live in the stomach and cause peptic ulcer disease, still know how to restrain our heartburn. That is, with them, heartburn is less than without them. It's even scary to get rid of them.
To begin with, heartburn is usually a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Reflux is the throwing of stomach contents into the esophagus. He constantly visits us, the esophagus is able to resist this matter. There are protective factors there. If the protective factors prevail over the damaging factors, then there will be no inflammation in the esophagus, and we will not feel heartburn.
Harmful factors are an excess of acid in the stomach or relaxation of muscle pulp, which normally blocks the entrance to the stomach, or something else. Not the point.
The main thing is that helicobacters, which sometimes settle in our stomach and cause ulcers, also reduce our heartburn.
Not all helicobacters act so pleasantly, but only those that densely clung to the body of the stomach.
If helicobacters settle in the lower part of the stomach, which passes into the duodenum, then there is a different story. In that part of the stomach, there are cells that secrete gastric hormones.
Helicobacters have a bad effect on stomach hormones, and this will cause more acid in the stomach. Acid will not only increase heartburn, but ulcers may also appear.
We are now interested in helicobacters, which densely covered the upper part of the stomach.
This infection usually does not affect the muscle mass between the stomach and esophagus.
Even if helicobacters enter the esophagus and settle there, there will be no great harm from them to the esophagus.
Helicobacters living in the upper part of the stomach can reduce the amount of acid. That is, microbes literally damage the cells that secrete acid. There will be less acid and reflux, even if present, may not be accompanied by heartburn.
But if by heroic efforts to defeat helicobacters, then the stomach will rouse, spread its wings and give out such a portion of acid that the esophagus will instantly scald.
So you will wonder whether it is necessary to fight with such useful helicobacters. Some experts are hesitant.
Actually it is necessary. An infection in the stomach leads to ulcers and increases the risk of developing malignant neoplasms. So it's not worth it.
Are you friends with your helicobacters?
