What causes acid reflux disease?
Acid reflux disease is an uncomfortable ailment that affects millions of Americans each month. Suddenly, you can no longer eat your favorite foods without folding the bread. Or maybe you find that bitter taste in your mouth most of the time and a stabbing chest pain makes you wonder if you’re having a heart attack. While the symptoms can be shocking, there are as many heartburn remedies as there are causes, so suffering is not an option!
As we age, our ability to produce digestive acids HCL (high-density lipoprotein) decreases. After 65, we start to produce 80% of what we had just thirty years ago. While it was once widely believed that acid reflux disease stemmed from the overproduction of amino acids, recent research suggests that sometimes a lack of strong acids can affect the natural triggers in our system that facilitate the absorption of minerals, the protein storage and waste removal.
Another cause of this disease is the choice of diet. As mentioned above, when you eat a lot of fatty foods or huge meals in one sitting, the body has trouble breaking down protein, which results in rotting in the stomach. Other times, too many spicy foods, citrus, caffeine, garlic, onions, peppers, fried foods, alcohol, red wine, and mint simply overwhelm our system. It’s not always what you eat, but also when you eat. People who eat two to three hours before bedtime often suffer tremendous symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux. They may be coughing all night from breathing in the acid, they may snore and feel congested or they may have an asthmatic reaction, can’t breathe, let alone fall asleep!
Nearly three-quarters of patients with acid reflux from heartburn also experience nocturnal effects. Another common mistake people make is just the opposite: bending over, lifting, and working right after dinner. All the movement could help push the food back where it came from.
Believe it or not, some medications you’re already taking can upset your stomach. Calcium channel blockers, theophylline (hydrophobic, Marax, bronchial, Quibron), nitrates, and antihistamines can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, which is the valve that keeps food and liquids down after you swallow. If you are taking medication for asthma, high blood pressure, seizures, angina, pain, urinary tract disorders, or allergies, check with your doctor to see if this is one of the side effects.
You are pregnant? Rising hormone levels naturally relax the ligaments in your body at this time, including the LES. Since more pressure is shifted around the midsection, it’s natural for food or stomach acids to rise back up. On a more serious note, acid reflux disease could come on suddenly as a symptom of underlying problems. For example, a hiatal hernia can cause retention of strong acids in the stomach and can block alternate pathways for acid to escape.
Peptic ulcers (sores in the stomach lining) and gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying) can also be sinister culprits for your pain. If you find reflux symptoms on a daily or weekly basis, check with your doctor to make sure you’re digesting as you should.