Anyone that has ever experienced heartburn knows how painful it is. Heartburn is a condition that causes a painful and/or burning sensation in the chest, typically, the burning is felt under the breastbone. Unlike its name, heartburn is not actually associated with your heart, but rather connected to the upper digestive tract. It is called heartburn, because the pain is felt in the same area in which you would feel pain if you were having a heart attack. In order to fully understand the causes of heartburn, it is important to understand where the pain is originating from and why.
What Physically Causes Heartburn? The lower esophageal sphincter (LES), is a muscle located between your stomach and the esophagus. The role of the LES is to keep solid mass and liquid in your stomach; basically it holds food down and prevents it from rising back up into your esophagus. Certain things, primarily foods, cause the muscle to either relax or not function correctly, which leads to the food, liquid and stomach acids backing up into the esophagus and causing heartburn.
External Causes of Heartburn: The external causes of heartburn are due to the foods and liquids you consume, certain physical activities, clothing and even what type of bed you sleep in. The Most Common Reasons You May Experience Heartburn, Includes:
*Caffeine-any beverage that has caffeine, such as coffee, tea and soda can lead to heartburn, because the caffeine causes relaxation of the LES. *Chocolate also contains caffeine. Small amounts of dark chocolate may often be sufficient enough to curb your chocolate cravings and reduce the risk of heartburn.
*Greasy and fatty foods are the largest contributor of heartburn for many people. These types of food slow down the digestion, which causes foods to stay in the stomach for a longer period of time, which causes excess pressure on the LES. Excessive eating fatty/greasy foods can cause short-term discomfort as well as long-term damage to the stomach lining and the esophagus.
*Tobacco and alcohol both contain chemicals that can cause relaxation of the LES.*Citrus juices and fruits-any fruit or vegetable, such as tomatoes, that is high in acid can cause heartburn; however, it is not typically the acid itself that causes the burning sensation, it is due to the effect these acids have on the LES. Acidic foods relax the LES and allow the stomach acids to move up into the esophagus and causes discomfort.
*Tight clothing, especially clothing that is tight around the waist and stomach area, may cause heartburn. When you squeeze the midsection of your body, you are essentially putting pressure on the LES, which forces the muscle to open and the stomach acids to move upward.
*Pregnancy is one of many common causes of heartburn, because of the change in hormones and the pressure on your stomach as the baby grows. To avoid heartburn during pregnancy, it is often helpful to avoid eating spicy foods and avoid lying down immediately after eating, which may cause indigestion and ultimately, heartburn.
*Certain exercise routines can reverse the flow of digestion, which will force the stomach acid back up and into the esophagus. For example, you may notice a trend of getting heartburn each time you do stomach crunches. This is because you are putting pressure on the stomach and forcing the bottom of the esophagus to open, allowing stomach acids to enter.
*If your heartburn seems to get worse at night, it may be due to your bed. Laying completely flat will allow the LES to relax and open up, allowing stomach acids to enter. Elevating your body and/or bed while sleeping will increase the gravity and prevent stomach acids from entering the esophagus.
There are a number of different natural treatment options for heartburn. It is often best to identify what the causes of heartburn are for you, by writing down what you ate and the activities you were doing when it happens. This will help you to pinpoint and apply the best home remedy for heartburn, that will bring you heartburn relief.