What causes Heartburn and Acid Reflux
Dec 5th, 2009
Heartburn is a digestive disorder that causes burning sensation in the chest, along with a sour taste in the mouth. Usually, heartburn happens after a heavy meal, especially lying or bending down after the meal. The heartburn can last for a few minutes or a few hours.
Heartburn is caused when the gastric acid enters the food pipe, the esophagus. This happens due to the weakening and dysfunctional of lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which separates the food valve and the stomach, thus makes the gastric acid to enter in the food valve. Reflux is referred as the opening of the muscle and the gastric acid produces irritation in the valve.
The common causes of heartburn are divided in to three categories: increased inward pressure on the esophageal value causing to force open it, loosening of muscles that weaken the valves and production of gastric acid is increased in the stomach. The inward pressure from outside or inside in the food valve are caused by eating large quantity of foods, eating oily foods, eating gas producing foods, wearing tight fitting clothes, pregnancy, going to bed immediately after a big meal, and often bending after a heavy meal.
The valve muscles are weakened by chewing tobacco, smoking, consuming certain foods, and consumption of alcoholic drinks. The factors that enhance the production of gastric acids are fatty foods, oily foods, deep fried snacks, stressful conditions, consuming excessive spicy foods, and some type of medicines.
The foods and drinks that relaxes the esophageal muscles and causes heartburns are coffee, tea, drinks containing caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, tomato and tomato-related products, citrus fruits and juices, carbonated drinks, mints or peppermints, obesity, and aspirin. Hiatal hernia is a protrusion that makes the stomach to move into the food valve and producing heartburn.
It has been found that people with asthma and diabetes are likely prone to heartburn frequently. Another possible cause is the achalasia, an esophageal disorder that disturbs the flow of food in the food valve and prevents relaxation of valves.This health condition is rarely seen in people and this facilitates heartburn.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when the valve is not properly closed and increases the heartburn.
The health conditions that could possible cause heartburn are mediastinitis, acid regurgitation, strongyloidiasis, copper toxicity, Zollinger-Ellison sundrome, indigestion, Worster Drought syndrome, Janbon syndrome, peptic ulcers, gastritis, lymphoma, esophagus cancer, niacin toxicity, scleroderma, stomach cancer, REST syndrome, acute gastritis, Short Bowel syndrome, and gastroparesis.




problems.Some people only get mild heartburn while others feel it so bad that they may think they are having a heart attack.