Top Reasons For Acid Reflux to Happen
Acid Reflux, heartburn, is a condition that is quite common and happens when stomach acid flows back up into the food pipe, which then causes uncomfortable symptoms such as gas or a bitter taste in the mouth.
GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is discovered when acid reflux happens more than twice a week. Moreover, GERD is most common and affects approximately 20 to 30 percent of the population.
Chronic heartburn may cause severe complications, which has a higher chance of driving this condition, along with ways to avoid them!
Symptoms
- A burning sensation in your chest, usually after eating, might worsen at night.
- Chest pain
- Difficulty swallowing
- Regurgitation of food or sour liquid.
- The feeling of a lump in your throat.
Top 5 reasons for acid reflux to happen:
- Smoking
Smoking and acid reflux may come hand in hand with smoking as it increases acid production in the stomach and increases the chances of cancer of the esophagus. - Obesity
Obesity is one of the common causes of this condition. Overeating food and a higher percentage of body fat can cause acid to back up from the stomach and into the esophagus. - Alcohol
The consumption of alcoholic beverages regularly can cause acid reflux. Some beverages are more than others, and for example, wine is more acidic than beer. - Chocolate
Chocolate contains many acid-promoting components, and milk chocolate has a higher chance of creating this symptom. Moreover, the fat in chocolate can even worsen acid reflux. - Coffee
Coffee has high amounts of acid, and those who intake it frequently are at higher risk of irritating the digestive system. - GERD treatment options are highly dependent upon an individual's GERD stage.
- Stage 1: Mild GERD
Patients experience mild symptoms once or twice a month. Treatment relies on lifestyle changes and over-the-counter acid-suppressive medications. - Stage 2: Moderate GERD
Patients experience more frequent symptoms requiring a daily prescription. - Stage 3: Severe GERD
Patients with severe GERD have poorly controlled symptoms on prescription medications. Their quality of life is substantially lower, and patients are more likely to have erosive esophageal inflammation. - Stage 4: Reflux induced precancerous lesions or esophageal cancer
Stage 4 is the result of many years of untreated severe reflux. 10% of patients with long-term GERD progress to stage 4. They develop a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus.
- Stage 1: Mild GERD
Conclusion
These are just the tip of the iceberg of a few reasons why it happens. The best thing to do is lower the intake of the items listed above or quit them overall.
