What Causes Heartburn

There is no other word to describe the pain of heartburn except for “Ouch”. Most people have experienced heartburn at least once in their lives because we all make food and lifestyle choices that cause it from time to time. Think of those wild nights in college where you had one too many drinks at a nightclub. Or maybe you decided that a late-night portion of brownies and pizza sound like a great combination. Our stomachs can only deal with a certain amount of trauma, and before long we have a lovely case of indigestion.

Find out how to prevent  heartburn. Click here.

Let’s look at what causes heartburn so that we can learn how to avoid it.

• Late night eating: Our digestive system goes to “sleep” when we do. It needs a rest period, so it does not process foods while you are sleeping. Therefore, if you eat a plate of cookies an hour before bed, those cookies will still be sitting in your stomach when you wake up the next morning. What do you think that does to your stomach lining? Having anything sitting there for hours on end is not a good thing. Plus, you then go lie down in your bed which causes the stomach’s contents to be pushed up into your esophagus. This is not good for your health as long term burning of the esophagus can cause a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus.
• Too tight clothing: If you are a bit overweight and wearing tight pants, you will likely experience more heartburn and acid reflux. This is because your pants are pushing up on your stomach causing the contents to also push upward.
• Eating the wrong foods: Like it or not, there are certain foods that cause more heartburn than others. For instance, chocolate is one that can cause a good bit of indigestion in some people. Also, tomato products and onions are known to cause heartburn as well.
• Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol has been implicated in many cases of indigestion because it produces quite a bit of acidity in the stomach.
• Smoking: Nicotine causes the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, which allows more of the stomach’s contents to wash upward. As a smoker, you are likely to experience more heartburn than if you were a non-smoker.
• Not drinking enough water: If you do not consume enough water each day, your body will become more acidic. You need at least 8 glasses of pure water each day to bathe your cells and your stomach in alkaline liquid. Our bodies are mostly made up of water, so it only makes sense that we would need quite a bit of it each day.

Reduce your risk of heartburn. Click here.

As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do at home to reduce your risk of having heartburn on a regular basis. Having this condition every once in a great while is one thing, but if you are experiencing it on a daily basis you should see your doctor to be further evaluated.

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