Heartburn is an unpleasant burning sensation in your esophagus. It is a symptom of acid reflux disease, which can make life less comfortable and make you feel unwell every day. The causes of heartburn are varied: sometimes they are medically motivated, other times it is simply a bad diet. Here are 12 things that cause heartburn.
Heartburn is a digestive system condition associated with failure of the lower esophageal sphincter. Heartburn is a burning or even pain in the esophagus that usually occurs after a meal.
Such an unpleasant burning sensation causes the regurgitation of food from the stomach. Its acidic content is responsible for belching and a strong burning sensation in the area from the sternum to the esophagus.
Heartburn can have many different causes: disease, certain foods, and bad habits. It sometimes occurs after a heavy meal, but it can also be medically related.Here are 12 Things That Cause Heartburn.
- Overeating.Too much food promotes stomach ailments - heartburn and belching. We feel as if a meal is coming to our throat, and indeed: a full stomach increases the pressure in the abdomen, which causes the esophageal sphincter to relax and not to cope with a large amount of stomach contents. Hence the backflow of food into the esophagus, causing heartburn.
- Hard-to-digest and fried foods, sugar and trans fats.Fried meat, fast food, fatty and sweet cakes - these types of dishes are difficult to digest, so they stay in the stomach for a long time and constantly "remember" about themselves. Before they are finally digested, they can cause heartburn.
- Coffee, alcohol, spicy and acidic foods.Some substances that stimulate the stomach to produce more stomach acid can cause heartburn. These include coffee, alcohol and spicy foods. Excess acid irritates the sensory receptors in the esophageal mucosa, causing acid reflux and the associated burning sensation.
- Carbonated drinks.Water or sweet drinks with CO2 irritate the gastric mucosa, which increases the production of stomach acid. The more there is, the greater the risk of heartburn. In addition, gas in beverages causes belching, which may be accompanied by the regurgitation of acidic food from the stomach intoesophagus.
- Chocolate.Chocolate contains methylxanthine, an organic chemical found in cocoa beans that relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter and increases the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
- Onions, garlic . They are bloating vegetables. The production of gas helps to relax the lower esophageal sphincter, causing the acidic contents of the stomach to regurgitate. Further, the mechanism of heartburn is the same as in the case of coffee or hard-to-digest, fried chops.
- Pregnancy.During the waiting period for a baby, some organs in the body move around to make room for the growing uterus. Pressing the baby on the mother's stomach can increase pressure in the abdomen and cause its contents to leak out. Another problem is the pregnancy hormones, especially relaxin, which cause muscles, joints and ligaments to relax. Relaxin also works on esophageal sphincters, which more easily "release" acid from the stomach into the esophagus.
- Hiatus hernia.This is a tiny opening in the diaphragm that allows the upper part of the stomach to come out. Its shift towards the chest weakens the sphincters and increases the risk of reflux. Hiatal hernia requires surgical removal.
- Neurosis and stress.Under stress, the production of stomach acid increases, which causes heartburn.
- Acetylsalicylic acid and certain medications.Substances with a low pH, i.e. acidic, such as aspirin, activate the enzyme stomach acids. When they leave the stomach, they cause heartburn.
- Smoking.Cigarettes and the substances they contain relax the lower esophageal sphincter and stimulate the production of stomach acid.
- Obesity.Obesity increases intra-abdominal pressure, causing stomach pressure and reflux. Research has shown that losing weight reduces the risk of heartburn.
Read also: Indigestion or heartburn? Learn the symptoms of heartburn and indigestion and how to deal with over-the-counter
Diaphragmatic hernia: causes, symptoms, treatment
Unwanted symptoms of long-term stress
Heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease) in pregnancy