Heartburn is painful, and it can be frightening. In fact, all of us are nervous when something is targeted around our heart. Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Actually it is an irritation of the esophagus that happens because of excess stomach acid. If you’ve ever had heartburn, you likely would like to take steps to keep it from happening again. If you’re unlucky enough to have chronic heartburn, you may also be looking for answers. The best way to solve the problem of heartburn is to start by having a look at the causes of heartburn and then deciding on steps to take to alleviate the problem.
As stated earlier, heartburn happens when excess stomach acid irritates the esophagus. This happens when the lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t tighten up the way it should. This underactive muscle is usually caused by two major excesses.
The first is an exorbitant quantity of eating which fills the gut too full. That is the reason you may experience heartburn following a huge holiday dinner. The obvious response to the cause is to keep yourself from eating so much. Even though the table is overflowing and the food is superb, limit yourself to moderate portions. Ask yourself if the pleasure of eating now is worth the agony of heartburn later.
The second excess that causes heartburn is due to too much pressure on the gut. This condition can be assigned to being obese or pregnancy. Once more, the remedies are blazingly obvious. Either lose pounds or have the baby, and you should be ready to reduce your bouts of heartburn.
There are a number of foods that can relax the lower esophageal sphincter ( LES ) so that it doesn’t stay closed properly. These include chocolate, caffeine, coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, garlic, peppermint, onions, and citrus fruits,eg oranges and grapefruit. Foods with fatty content, if it’s animal or vegetable fat, and certain medications can also lead to heartburn. Smoking is a major culprit when it comes to the prevalence of unpleasant bouts of heartburn, as it both relaxes the LES and excites the production of stomach acid. Stress can also contribute to the the difficulty.
As you can see, one or two simple lifestyle alterations can make awhole world of difference in the quantity of heartburn someone suffers. By watching what you eat, how much you eat, and your weight, you can greatly decrease what causes heartburn. Giving up smoking and learning to relax will also stand you in an excellent position in the battle against the discomfort of heartburn.
Tags: acid reflux, causes, heartburn, heartburn remedies, painful heartburn