Why Heartburn Happens

[Guest guest]

Why Heartburn Happens by Sharon Gillson,Your Guide to Heartburn /

Acid Reflux, www.about.com.

Not everyone who eats spicy foods will get heartburn. Why do some

people suffer from heartburn while others do not?

Heartburn occurs when lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not

close properly and stomach contents reflux back up into the

esophagus. When this happens, you can experience any of the symptoms

below:

A burning feeling or feeling of pressure in the chest just behind

the breastbone (the sternum) that may radiate upward toward the

neck.

Chest pain that occurs when bending over or lying down, especially

soon after eating.

A hot, sour, acidic, or bitter tasting fluid at the back of the

throat and/or in the mouth.

A feeling like food coming back into the mouth, or sticking in the

chest or throat.

Why Heartburn Occurs

Not everyone suffers from heartburn, even when they eat spicy foods.

For millions of people, however, heartburn is a chronic condition

that can occur for one of the following reasons:

Poor Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) Tone

When the LES is weak, it lacks the strength needed to hold back

stomach contents.

Poor Esophageal Clearance

In a normally-functioning esophagus, when reflux occurs, the

esophagus has mechanisms that will push the refluxed materials back

into the stomach. If these mechanisms do not work, or work properly,

the erosive stomach contents may remain in the esophagus for a

prolonged period of time.

What Increases Your Chances of Having Heartburn

There are several reasons an individual's heartburn will occur.

While these things can cause heartburn in people who only have

occasional episodes, they can be big triggers for those suffering

from chronic heartburn.

What you eat

There are certain foods that can worsen heartburn symptoms. Some

foods can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), allowing

stomach contents to flow up into the esophagus, while other foods

will increase the production of stomach acid.

Some of these foods are:

Fried foods

Fatty foods

Spicy foods

Citrus fruits

Tomato products

Coffee

Caffeinated tea

Alcoholic beverages

Citrus fruit drinks

Chocolate

Peppermint

Pepper

Medications

It isn't just food that can cause heartburn. Sometimes it's the

medications we take to treat other conditions that can be the

culprit. Some medications can cause heartburn by relaxing the LES,

allowing stomach contents to reflux back up into the esophagus.

Some of these medications are:

Anticholinergic drugs (urinary tract disorders, antihistamines)

Includes natural belladonna alkaloids (atropine, belladonna,

hyoscyamine, and scopolamine) and related products.

Beta-2 agonists (bronchodilators [inhalation] -- asthma)

Includes Alupent, Bronkaid Mist, Primatene Mist, Proventil,

Ventolin, Ventolin Rotacaps.

Calcium channel blockers (high blood pressure)

Includes Cardizem, Dilacor-XR, Norvasc, Procardia, Vascor.

epam (anxiety disorders, seizures)

Includes Librium, Paxipam, Valium, Xanax.

Nitrates (angina)

Includes Nitrogard, Nitrostat, Nitroglyn E-R, Sorbitrate.

Opioid analgesics (prescription pain killers)

Includes morphine, oxycodone, synthetic opioid narcotics.

Theophylline (bronchodilators [oral] -- asthma)

Includes Aerolate Sr, Choledyl, Respbid, Slo-Bid Gyrocaps, Theobid

Duracaps, Theo-Dur.

Tricyclic (psychotherapeutic agents, antidepressants)

Includes Anafranil, Elavil, Norpramin, Pamelor.

Lifestyle Habits

The chances of heartburn occurring can increase because of our

lifestyle habits -- what we do and how we do it. Some of these

lifestyle habits are:

Eating large meals

Large meals expand your stomach and increase upward pressure against

the esophageal sphincter. It is better to eat smaller, more frequent

meals.

Lying down shortly after eating.

Gravity helps to keep the stomach juices from backing up into the

esophagus and assists the flow of food and digestive juices from the

stomach to the intestines. When laying down, especially on a full

stomach, the chances of refluxed stomach contents increases. It is

best to wait at least two hours after eating to lie down.

Lying flat when sleeping at night.

Lying down flat presses the stomach's contents against the LES. You

should elevate your head when sleeping. With the head higher than

the stomach, gravity helps reduce this pressure. You can elevate

your head in a couple of ways. You can place bricks, blocks or

anything that's sturdy securely under the legs at the head of your

bed. You can also use a wedge-shaped pillow, to elevate your head.

Wearing tight clothes or belts

Clothing that fits tightly around the abdomen, such as slenderizing

undergarments, will squeeze the stomach, forcing food up against the

LES, and cause food to reflux into the esophagus. It is a good idea

to wear looser-fitting clothing, and not cinch up belts too tightly.