What causes Heartburn – Quick Introduction
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What causes Heartburn – Quick Introduction
Heartburn is a digestive disorder that causes burning sensation in the chest, along with a sour taste in the mouth. It occurs normally after a big meal, particularly while bending or lying down.The heartburn can last for a few minutes or a few hours.
Heartburn is caused when the gastric acid enters the food pipe, the esophagus. This becomes possible when the muscle lower esophageal sphincter (LES) separating stomach and diaphragm weakens and becomes dysfunctional, thus facilitating the flow of gastric acid in the esophagus. The opening of LES is called reflux and the entered acid causes irritation in the esophagus.
The causes of heartburn are classified in to three: accelerated inward pressure that weakens the food valve, muscle relaxation leading to valves weakening, and increased gastric acid production in the stomach. The inward pressure from outside or inside in the food valve are caused by eating large quantity of foods, eating oily foods, eating gas producing foods, wearing tight fitting clothes, pregnancy, going to bed immediately after a big meal, and often bending after a heavy meal.
The elements that lead to weakening of food valve are: chewing tobacco, smoking, consuming certain foods, and drinking alcoholic drinks. The gastric acid production is increased by oily foods, fatty foods, stressful conditions, eating large quantity of spicy foods, deep fried snacks, and some kind of medications.
The drinks and food items that weakens the food valve to cause heartburns are tea, coffee, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, chocolate, tomato, products made out of tomato, citrus fruits and drinks, carbonated drinks, aspirin, and mints and peppermints. Hiatal hernia is a protrusion that makes the stomach to move into the food valve and producing heartburn.
Studies show that asthma and diabetes also contribute much to heartburn and irritation. Achalasia is an esophageal disorder that affects the free flow of food in the esophagus and also prevents the valve from relaxing. This disorder is rare and contributes much to the heartburn.Another health condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease causes heartburn when the food value is not properly closed.
Other possible health conditions that cause heartburn are peptic ulcers, gastritis, lymphoma, esophagus cancer, niacin toxicity, strongyloidiasis, mediastinitis, acid regurgitation, copper toxicity, Zollinger-Ellison sundrome, scleroderma, indigestion, Worster Drought syndrome, Janbon syndrome, stomach cancer, REST syndrome, acute gastritis, Short Bowel syndrome, and gastroparesis.
