subject: Cause of Heartburn: Understanding Heartburn [print this page] Cause of Heartburn: Understanding Heartburn
While the term heartburn may connote something about the heart, despite the sound of the term, heartburn actually is not related to, or caused by, the heart. However, it can be a quite painful condition which can sometimes make a person assume that thecause of heartburncould be a heart attack or heart disease. Thankfully, however, thecause of heartburnis something completely unrelated to any heart diseases. Here are some of the reasons why heartburn occurs. The main reason for heartburn is a problem with the lower esophageal sphincter. Usually, this area of the esophagus is simply not tightening up as it needs to, and this leads to discomfort and even pain.
Reasons for the lower esophageal sphincter not constricting properly include an overly full stomach, and excessive pressure on the stomach. Several different causes exist for this type of stomach pressure, but usually it results from pregnancy, especially in later stages, and excess weight especially true in the case of morbid obesity. While the reasons listed above are the most commonly seen causes of heartburn, there are other things that can contribute to the development of heartburn. Some foods are known to be a directcause of heartburnsince they tend to prevent the lower esophageal sphincter's ability to properly tighten. Such foods include chocolate, caffeine, citrus fruits, garlic, and alcoholic beverages. In general, foods which have a high fat content will be much more likely to cause heartburn. With heartburn, eating healthy is truly the way to feel better as well. In addition, too much stress can be another possiblecause of heartburndue tothe fact that your body produces extra quantities of stomach acid during times of high stress which can possibly translate into painful heartburn. Remember that stomach acid will bring on heartburn very quickly so you have to avoid these situations.
Finally, smoking is anotherknown cause of heartburn. Like stress, smoking makes your stomach generate new acid which normally brings troublesome heartburn. Heartburn is a painful and irritating problem, but when you know the causes behind it you can do something to avoid heartburn.
