subject: The Association Between Heartburn And Alcohol Problems [print this page] More than sixty million men and women living in the United States are deprived of eating normally because of their heartburn. But the truth is that we all experience it at some point in our lives. Unfortunately, for chronic heartburn sufferers, the nagging pain behind the breastbone not to mention the acidic burn in the throat is a constant possibility. Pizza, chocolate, cappuccino, cheese, wine, even innocent foods like orange juice can wreck havoc with our stomach, keep us awake at night and make us fairly useless at work because of lack of sleep. Everybody different so what may trigger heartburn in one person will have no effect on another, except alcohol, which seems to bother all heartburn sufferers. Chronic heartburn and liquor is a combination mix that should be avoided. When it comes to heartburn and alcohol, there are multiple problems that could occur.
The truth of the matter is our life style mixed with our nutritional habits is making us ill. We indulge in smoking , eat fast foods, don't get enough sleep, consume too much alcohol, drink too much coffee, and then are stricken with stress. It's no wonder our bodies are having problems.
The cause of our heartburn problems can be traced to a sphincter, separating the stomach and esophagus, not closing correctly and letting acid from the stomach into the esophagus causing pain. Food is the biggest reason why the valve might not close properly. It very sensitive, especially to foods that are spicy or greasy. These foods are commonly described as heartburn triggers. Alcohol is among one of the biggest triggers.
Alcohol also affects how much acid is produced in the stomach which can be a factor with regard to the esophageal valve being loose or not.
Prolong exposure to stomach acid will erode the esophagus over time which may lead to bleeding of the esophagus or even cancer. Stomach acid can cause even greater damage to the esophagus if it's exposed to alcohol.
Alcohol also has the ability to slow down the movement of food in the stomach, delays the stomach from emptying, and keeps the stomach muscles from relaxing. As a result this increases the possibility of stomach acid entering the esophagus.
The severity and discomfort of heartburn will intensified because alcohol acts as an irritant on an esophagus that's been damaged by frequent acid coming from the stomach.
Here's something to think about when it comes to heartburn and alcohol: An individual passes out from drinking too much and they have a full stomach.
Most of the time, drinking too much alcohol results not only in a bad hangover but in a painful heartburn.
Moderate drinking is likely to provoke heartburn if the esophagus is already damaged. If you're a long time heartburn sufferer then you pretty much know what will cause your gastroesophageal distress and what won't. We know that relief is in our hands. All we have to is regulate what we do and we can make the relationship between heartburn and alcohol a thing of the past.
