Trying to relieve heartburn with baking soda can cause inflammation of the inner lining of the esophagus, which increases the risk of cancer. Head of the Levin department of Botkin Hospital and candidate of medical sciences Oksana Levina talked about this in the program “Doctor 24”.
Reflux disease, that is, the backflow of duodenal or stomach contents into the esophagus, may be accompanied by a feeling of heartburn. Sometimes reflux can reach the mouth and cause coughing. If the valve between the esophagus and stomach is not working properly, spontaneous leakage of gastric juice occurs. This mostly occurs at night, so patients prone to reflux need to sleep with their heads elevated.
Baking soda for heartburn may only help temporarily. Since it has alkaline properties, it “quenches” acid. However, its interaction with the stomach causes it to start producing more acid. As a result, heartburn attacks become more pronounced and more frequent. This can lead to erosive esophagitis and even Barrett’s esophagus – scarring changes that can lead to the development of oncology.
A man who has previously ruptured his esophagus underwent surgery On the outskirts of Moscow.