The most common question from acid reflux sufferers is, "What causes heartburn and how can I avoid it?" Most people would probably answer, "Diet," and they'd be partially right. While diet is part of the problem, it's not the main cause. It's more of a physiological problem, to be exact. The stomach has a band, or a sphincter, that is supposed to hold the food in after it lands there to be digested. If, for any reason, the band doesn't tighten up, the food goes back through the esophagus along with the accompanying digestive acids and the result is heartburn. No one can mistake the feeling: any time your chest and throat feel like it's burning with inexplicable pain, that's heartburn.
What cause the weakness of the sphincter can be two main things: overeating and too much pressure on the stomach like that in obesity and pregnancy. These two excesses can also be further compromised with certain foods that can trigger the laxity: tomatoes, citrus foods, garlic, onions, chocolate, and coffee... all the good stuff. Another trigger can be stress accompanied usually with smoking which by themselves already contribute to excess in stomach acids.
For Vi, what causes heartburn is actually her hectic lifestyle. She's a typical busy teen that wakes up early to get to school, is pressured to perform to the limit by her teachers and peers, is on the go the whole day so is forced to take the school diet of fast food and soda, and is so impatient she wants things now, now, NOW. It's that constant push that we consider normal that is the main cause of heartburn today.
What's funny was Vi had actually studied what causes heartburn but she didn't think that it could happen to her! She didn't bother tempering her junk food diet with the healthy food that was available in the cafeteria and at home, and she constantly burned her candles at both ends with her late nights and early morning. Apart from the fact that she binged on potato chips a few nights a week, she drank coffee at night to stay up and chat with her friends over the internet.
You could tell Vi, but whether she would listen is another story. She could sometimes take on that know-it-all attitude so common with teens and insist on her own way. She knew what causes heartburn yet she still insisted on her unhealthy lifestyle. I guess that what they say is true that people fight back harder when it's their lifestyle that's involved.
Thankfully, all it took was that one major attack for her to tweak her lifestyle a bit. She still loves her chips but doesn't pair them with soda anymore. The coffee was changed to herbal tea, and she looks over the salad bar at the cafeteria more often. She won't give up her late nights yet, however, so that's the last bad habit that she's got left. She already knows what causes heartburn for her so it's her final decision to do what she will with the knowledge that she has.
What cause the weakness of the sphincter can be two main things: overeating and too much pressure on the stomach like that in obesity and pregnancy. These two excesses can also be further compromised with certain foods that can trigger the laxity: tomatoes, citrus foods, garlic, onions, chocolate, and coffee... all the good stuff. Another trigger can be stress accompanied usually with smoking which by themselves already contribute to excess in stomach acids.
For Vi, what causes heartburn is actually her hectic lifestyle. She's a typical busy teen that wakes up early to get to school, is pressured to perform to the limit by her teachers and peers, is on the go the whole day so is forced to take the school diet of fast food and soda, and is so impatient she wants things now, now, NOW. It's that constant push that we consider normal that is the main cause of heartburn today.
What's funny was Vi had actually studied what causes heartburn but she didn't think that it could happen to her! She didn't bother tempering her junk food diet with the healthy food that was available in the cafeteria and at home, and she constantly burned her candles at both ends with her late nights and early morning. Apart from the fact that she binged on potato chips a few nights a week, she drank coffee at night to stay up and chat with her friends over the internet.
You could tell Vi, but whether she would listen is another story. She could sometimes take on that know-it-all attitude so common with teens and insist on her own way. She knew what causes heartburn yet she still insisted on her unhealthy lifestyle. I guess that what they say is true that people fight back harder when it's their lifestyle that's involved.
Thankfully, all it took was that one major attack for her to tweak her lifestyle a bit. She still loves her chips but doesn't pair them with soda anymore. The coffee was changed to herbal tea, and she looks over the salad bar at the cafeteria more often. She won't give up her late nights yet, however, so that's the last bad habit that she's got left. She already knows what causes heartburn for her so it's her final decision to do what she will with the knowledge that she has.
About the Author:
Cyndi Funaldi talks about solutions for heartburn at her blog where you can find out more about heartburn cure and gerd treatment.
