Picture this you have just finished eating your favorite Mexican dinner, hot and spicy, just the way you want it to be. Just when you are about to live the restaurant and recommend it to your friends later, you feel a burning sensation in your chest and throat. No, there is nothing wrong with the food except that it is one of the many acid reflux causes that make for a very uncomfortable feeling. Acid reflux or commonly called a heartburn can mimic a heart attack but is not life-threatening. Occasional heartburn is not a cause for alarm but if it happens rather frequently then it may be a sign of a more serious problem called gastro esophageal reflux disease which is pretty much the same as heartburn but it is chronic which is caused by irritating acids of the stomach to back up into the esophagus.
To fully understand an acid reflux, you need to understand the mechanism of your digestive system considering that it is healthy. Your digestive system has a certain part called the digestive tract which starts with your mouth where you chew your food mixing it with a substantial amount of saliva which promptly starts the process of digestion. When you swallow your food it travels through what is called the esophagus which links your mouth to your stomach. Digestion continues as your food travels through the tube unto your stomach with the aid of tiny contractions called peristalsis.
A band of muscle fibers called the esophageal sphincter connects your stomach with the esophagus. The sphincter acts like a valve which opens to allow food to flow into the stomach and closes to keep stomach acid and food from flowing back to the esophagus. Heartburn occurs when your sphincter becomes weak or when it relaxes when it shouldn't causing stomach acids to flow back to your esophagus.
Some people may naturally have weak sphincter that is not able to withstand the pressure coming from the contents of the stomach making them feel the burning sensation more often than others. For those who suppose to have healthy sphincter there are certain factors that triggered it to weaken such as eating spicy and acidic foods, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and having certain medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma. Excessive pressure on your abdomen can also trigger heartburn when stomach acids flow back to your esophagus. If you are fund of wearing clothes that are tight fitted then if may well be a cause of your frequent heartburn episodes.
You need to take note of these common causes of acid reflux so you can minimize the number of episodes you have and be able to have a more comfortable experience after eating a sumptuous dinner.
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