What Are The Major Causes of Heartburn?

Heartburn is a term used to describe a burning or painful feeling in the chest just below the breastbone or sternum

. Unlike heart attacks, heartburn is not fatal and are not associated to the heart. Heartburn is actually a condition involving the upper digestive tract. Causes of heartburn are clear and are easy to define so prevention is also possible.

Heartburn id felt when there is a sudden reflux of stomach acids in the esophagus. Our stomach is covered by a "lid" called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle. Normally, this muscle keeps the stomach closed and traps the food bolus and gastric juices inside. However, the LES muscle may sometimes be triggered to relax or slacken on its jobs which makes way for some acids to move out of the stomach and travel back up to the food tube.

Acids such as hydrochloric acid together with some pepsin and bile may shoot up as high as the back of the throat and cause the burning feeling or sharp pain in the chest that we experience in heartburn. Causes of heartburn may be grouped into three to better understand prevention and relief for the effects of heartburn.

Causes of heartburn include factors that increase upward pressure in the stomach. Pressure in the stomach may be caused by eating large meals. Large meals take up too much space in the stomach therefore food bolus sink down to the bottom leaving the acids to stay on top while the food is being digested into a soupy consistency. Acids may spill over to the esophagus once the LES muscles loosen.

Fatty/oily foods or those that are deep fried take too much time to digest thus also consuming space in the stomach. Tight-fitting clothes also incre3ases pressure in the stomach area most especially belts and body slimming underwear. Pregnancy is also one of the causes of heartburn in women. As the baby in the mother's womb grows, it pushes the stomach and the contents upward thus forcing open the LES muscles to allow acid reflux.

Other causes of heartburn are the factors that loosen or slacken the LES muscles. These include alcohol consumption and smoking. Certain foods that have the relaxing effect to the LES muscles are chocolates, caffeinated products, citrus fruits, garlic and onions. Different people react to these factors differently so not all of them may trigger heartburn in one person.

Another one of the causes of heartburn are those that increase the production of acids in the stomach. Spicy foods increase the production of stomach acids. Avoiding these also helps in lessening the occurrence of heartburn. Although not proven, stress is believed to trigger the stomach to produce acids.

It is very advisable to maintain a healthy lifestyle with proper exercise and rest to avoid heartburn. Some medicine may induce acid production. Drinking enough water when drinking your medication may decrease the chance for heartburn to occur.

Experiencing heartburn once in a while is quite normal. However, persistent or frequent heartburn may lead to complications and serious medical conditions. Once heartburn is experienced for more than twice in a week in a couple of consecutive weeks, think of consulting a doctor.

What Are The Major Causes of Heartburn?

By: Jenny M. Martinson

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