R10-R19: Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen

R12: Heartburn

You have pain, most of which starts in the left upper abdomen. This pain can also spread to the chest and throat. Occasionally you also have to do sour burps. These symptoms are often caused by an inflamed oesophagus (gullet).

The cause is often that the sphincter muscle connecting the oesophagus and the stomach does not close all the way, causing stomach acid to leak from the stomach back into the oesophagus. The gastric acid attacks the mucous membrane of the gullet. As a result, the oesophagus can become inflamed. There are other causes of heartburn as well. The oesophagus can become inflamed due to pathogens, for example.

When the oesophagus is inflamed, some people feel it as heartburn. The symptoms can intensify when lying down or with physical exertion.