Heartburn Cause: Not One, But Many Reasons

Heartburn is characterized by feeling of a searing pain at the back of where your breastbone is situated and also close to the ribs and this pain will then radiate in the direction of your throat. The most obvious heartburn cause is when hydrochloric acid spills out of the stomach and into your esophagus and the pain is felt because there is no protective lining in the esophagus to dampen the pain felt from acid that enters into it.

Corrosion, Inflammation And Irritation

It is this stomach acid that has corrosive properties and which also causes inflammation and irritates the patient’s esophagus that is why it is considered the main heartburn cause. Furthermore, it is also necessary to study the anatomy of the lower esophageal sphincter that lies between the esophagus and the stomach and which, when it malfunctions, leads to heartburn. It follows then that a weak lower esophageal sphincter is also a major heartburn cause because in its weakened state this sphincter is unable to keep the acid from flowing out of the stomach and into the esophagus.

Other possible heartburn causes include certain types of foods that, when consumed, act on the lower esophageal sphincter in a manner so as to cause the sphincter to relax and thus allows acid out of the stomach and into the esophagus. These foods include citrus fruits as well as alcohol and even mint as too chocolates. Furthermore, acidic foods can irritate the esophagus are also possible heartburn causes and these foods include tomatoes and foods that contain much spices in them.

Even overeating can be considered as a heartburn cause because the more food you have in your stomach the greater is the pressure on the stomach and to ease this pressure the stomach may find it necessary to expel acid into the esophagus. Other possible heartburn causes include certain kinds of exercises, too tight clothing, bending over, as well as too much stomach fat; and, in some cases even pregnancy can be considered as a heartburn cause.

Even smoking and too much of stress are possible heartburn causes and the same goes for people who go to bed immediately following having eaten a meal. Finally, aging is also considered a possible heartburn cause because with age the lower esophageal sphincter will loose its strength and so, allow acid to regurgitate into the esophagus.

Having understood what causes heartburn you should then make it a point to take preventive action so that you do not do anything or eat foods that will lead to heartburn. In any case, it is easy to deduce after looking at the different heartburn causes that it is possible to avoid this condition by doing simple things such as changing your diet, lifestyle as well as avoiding smoking or consuming too much of alcohol. Even a simple act such as changing your sleeping habits can help you avoid suffering from heartburn.