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What Causes Heartburn? I’ll explain.
By Matthew | January 17, 2008
What is heartburn?
Heartburn is misconceived. In actuality, heartburn has nothing to with the heart. The heartburn you feel after eating is actually caused by stomach acid aggravating the esophagus. You see, at the bottom of the esophagus is a valve which, helped by our friend gravity, keeps stomach acid where it belongs. When this valve doesn’t do its job right (by this, I mean it doesn’t close and keep the acid down), you feel what is commonly known as heartburn.
So, what causes heartburn?
The short answer (and I like keeping it short here) is it is caused by something pressing up against the esophagus or the overfilling of the stomach, both of which most often happen in the obese and overweight. Eating a meal can cause the stomach to be overfilled and enough of these overfilling causes the buildup of fat around the torso of the body to cause pressure on the esophagus and this “acid valve.” Just losing 10-15 pounds can greatly decrease the chance of frequent heartburn in the future. This is not the only reason for heartburn, but it is the most common. Eating certain foods does have a deadening affect on the “acid valve.” These include onions, alcohol, citrus fruit, garlic, peppermint, and other foods high in oil. Lastly, smoking both increases stomach acid and relaxes your valve–so if you smoke, expect heartburn eventually.
Topics: Chronic Pain, Heartburn |