The Common Causes of Heartburn

If you experienced a bad case of heartburn before then you know how painful and uncomfortable this condition can be. In fact, it can be so painful that you may not be able to do any of your activities.

You have to know that there are several causes of heartburn. By knowing about the common causes of heartburn, you will be able to have an idea on how you can prevent it from happening to you or at least reduce its occurrence.

First of all, you need to know that heartburn, despite its name, is in no way related to any heart condition. Heartburn is primarily a digestive condition where stomach acid comes in contact with the esophagus. When this happens, the acid will irritate the esophagus, causing you to feel a burning sensation that starts on your diaphragm and makes its way up to your chest. It is also accompanied by a bitter or sour taste in your mouth, which is basically the stomach acid your body regurgitated. This is what you will feel when you experience heartburn.

In most cases, heartburn occurs a few hours after eating. The pain can last for many hours and this condition will make you feel as if food is stuck on your chest or your throat. If not treated, heartburn can result to a more serious condition, such as scarring of the esophagus and on rare cases, it can even cause cancer of the esophagus.

So, what causes you to experience heartburn?

Primarily, diet is the main culprit for experiencing heartburn. Certain foods are notorious for causing heartburn. Included are fatty and fried food, garlic, mint, tomatoes, and chocolate. Spicy food is also notorious for causing heartburn.

There are also beverages that you must avoid. Acidic beverages, such as orange juice and sodas as well as alcohol and coffee are known to cause heartburn. You really don’t have to give up drinking these things but you have to limit it or control it. You should also drink more water in order to neutralize stomach acid.

You also need to remember that some exercise routines can cause heartburn. Some exercises can reverse the flow of digestion, which will force stomach acid back in to the esophagus, which will cause heartburn.

These exercises include somersaults, forward rolls and other exercises that require you to be upside down.

If you experience heartburn during nighttime or when you are about to go to sleep, the most likely culprit would be your bed. Elevate your body position when you sleep with pillows in order to make gravity work for you by keeping stomach acid inside the stomach.

These are the common causes of heartburn. As you can see, there are ways on how you can prevent heartburn from happening or at least manage it effectively. It’s just a matter of making small lifestyle modifications, such as changing your diet and exercise routines.

Keep these things in mind and you can be sure that you will be able to prevent or at least reduce the frequency of heartburn.