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What Causes Acid Reflux?
Most people don't know, or aren't aware of what causes acid reflux. The truth is that anyone can experience occasional heartburn caused by acid reflux. When you eat an especially heavy, fat-laden or acidic meal the stomach is forced to produce more and more acid to digest it. If you then lift something heavy, or wear too-tight clothing, or lie down too soon after eating, the abundant acids in the stomach back up or reflux into the esophagus and cause the classic symptoms of burning and pain in the chest and upper abdomen. 
Persistent heartburn, though, is another story. If you experience serious heartburn more than twice a week, you may well have acid reflux disease or as it's technically known gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this case not only your diet, but your physical condition and lifestyle habits must be examined to determine the causes of acid reflux. Left untreated, acid reflux can cause serious damage to the esophagus and larynx (vocal cords), and may be a risk factor for asthma.
Physical Causes of Acid Reflux
If you are overweight, you are at high risk for acid reflux or GERD. Make sure you ... continue
The Pregnant Woman's Acid Reflux Dilemma
Many women tend to experience heartburn symptoms when they are carrying their babies, and this happens for several reasons. ![]()
One of these is the increase of hormones, particularly progesterone, in the woman’s body during pregnancy. This results in a softening of the ligaments that function to keep the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach, firmly closed. The LES operates like a valve, opening and closing to allow food to pass into the stomach and it normally keeps stomach acids and food from leaking back into the esophagus. If the LES relaxes and opens at inopportune times, this will allow gastric acid and food to reflux back to the esophagus and throat. Progesterone also make your digestive system slower and less efficient in function, increasing chances of acid reflux. And as the baby grows, the stomach and other internal organs become crowded, so stomach acids and food are forced to reflux into the esophagus.
The pregnant woman's dilemma is how to treat the heartburn and acid reflux without harming the growing baby. She can't take many of the usual medications without risking the child's development. And until the baby's born the heartburn may never completely go away. However, there are several drug-free tactics that a pregnant woman can employ to at least ... continue
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