Heartburn is distressing, and it can be scary. Of course, all of us are frightened when something is targeted around our heart. Angina , however , has nothing to do with the heart. Essentially it is an irritation of the esophagus that happens because of excess stomach acid. If you’ve ever had heartburn, you potentially want to take steps to keep it from taking place again. If you’re sufficiently unlucky to suffer from protracted heartburn, you may also be looking for answers. The best way to resolve the issue of heartburn is to start by taking a look at the causes of heartburn and then deciding on steps to take to relieve the problem.

As stated earlier, heartburn occurs when excess stomach acid irritates the esophagus. This happens when the lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t tighten up the way it should. This underactive muscle is generally caused by two heavy excesses.

The first is aunjustifiable amount of eating which fills the gut too full. That is the reason you may experience heartburn following a big vacation dinner. The obvious response to the cause is to keep yourself from eating so much. Although the table is overflowing and the food is superb, limit yourself to moderate portions. Ask yourself if the pleasure of eating now is worth the discomfort of heartburn later.

The second excess that causes heartburn is due to too much force on the belly. This condition can be attributed to being obese or pregnancy. Once again, the remedies are pretty obvious. Either lose weight or have the baby, and you should be able to reduce your bouts of heartburn.

There are a number of foods that can relax the lower esophageal sphincter ( LES ) so that it doesn’t stay closed properly. These include chocolate, caffeine, coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, garlic, peppermint, onions, and citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit. Foods with fatty content, whether it’s animal or plant fat, and certain medicines can also lead to heartburn. Smoking is a major culprit when it comes to the prevalence of distressing bouts of heartburn, because it both relaxes the LES and stimulates the production of stomach acid. Stress can also make a contribution to the the difficulty.

As you can see, a few easy lifestyle modifications can make awhole world of difference in the amount of heartburn an individual suffers. By watching what you eat, how much you eat, and your weight, you can greatly decrease what causes heartburn. Quitting smoking and learning to relax will also stand you in good position in the skirmish against the discomfort of heartburn.

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Tags: acid reflux, causes, heartburn, heartburn remedies, painful heartburn

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 2:55 pm and is filed under Massage Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.