The Advice You Don't Want To Hear: Acid Reflux Causes

There are many acid reflux causes, and many of them you won't want to hear, particularly if you like hot, spicy foods. 

Unless you hold to the philosophy that you chew every mouthful of food at least twenty times, sit upright whilst eating and remain sitting upright for at least half an hour afterwards, avoid all spicy food and fruit juice, and drink plenty of milk and water, then the chances are fairly high that at some time or another you have suffered from the very nasty and unpleasant condition known as acid reflux, but more commonly referred to as heartburn.

Sadly, life is too hectic to allow for such slow and calm approaches to dining, and all too often we enjoy the very foods and drinks we ought not to eat so much of, as they are directly attributable to heartburn. Tea, coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, fruit and even chocolate are all to blame in some part. With recent studies suggesting salt is a major contributor, it seems that we stand little chance of avoiding it. But what exactly is heartburn, or acid reflux, what causes it, and what are the risks?

Regardless of whether you rigorously ensure that every mouthful is chewed at least twenty times or bite it once and swallow hard, the food is mixed with saliva that begins the whole process of digesting or breaking down of the food. When you swallow, the food or drink passes through a valve that separates the throat from the long tube that runs down to your stomach. This valve is the upper esophageal sphincter, and the long tube is the esophagus. Muscles line the whole of the esophagus, and contract in waves, called peristalsis, to move the food towards the stomach.

Although this process works successfully regardless of gravity (which is why astronauts can still eat and drink!) it is also true to say that standing or sitting upright does allow gravity to lend a hand, and ease the transfer of food in the right direction. At the bottom of the esophagus, the food passes through another valve, the lower esophageal sphincter, and into the stomach. The stomach contains a great deal of acid, and it is this which breaks the food down - particularly the enzymes. Acid reflux is the condition where the lower esophageal sphincter either opens when it shouldn't, or through weakness of some kind, fails to close fully or effectively, allowing the acids in the stomach to escape up into the esophagus.

Of course, if the stomach is under pressure, either because we have eaten too much, or too quickly, or we are wearing tight clothing or in an awkward position, then the reverse pressure on the valve causes acid, and even food to reflux back up into the esophagus. It is the acid burning the sensitive and unprotected lining of the esophagus that causes the pain and discomfort. Natural antacids in saliva cause this to naturally pass, but in some cases medication is needed to increase the rate or success of this.

There are many different factors which can affect how often or how severely people suffer from acid reflux causes, and often it is simply a case of trying to identify each time it occurs with what you did or ate just previously. It isn't always immediately obvious as there are so many different factors. The most obvious one that people consider is the diet, and certainly the type of food you eat can have a significant impact. Typically it is the spicy or acidic foods, such as Mexican or Indian dishes, or even citrus fruits, including tomatoes.

However, it is also just as likely to be what we drink, as what we eat, and guilty beverages can include tea and coffee, fruit juices, hot chocolate and alcohol. Surprisingly, several of these are usually considered either naturally good for you, or settling, and it is frequently the case that people drink either hot chocolate or alcohol before going to bed, and the combination of drinking something that has a natural tendency to cause acid reflux with lying down - a position which helps to put pressure on the stomach, is almost a guarantee of heartburn or discomfort.

Certainly it is not considered a good idea to lie down or slouch after eating, as this tends to squash the stomach and the increase in pressure can result in the lower esophageal sphincter giving way. Other causes of increased pressure on the stomach can include being pregnant (as any woman who has been through this ordeal will tell you), being overweight, smoking, and being under pressure, (as in the kind you get at work, or with fifteen children all running down whilst high on energy drinks and sugary sweets).

So, if you can give up these acid reflux causes such as smoking, drinking, having children, stress, lying down and eating most of your favourite foods, at the same time as keeping a lovely trim figure, then you should be fine. Otherwise, the chances are you'll be needing some kind of remedy.

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