Acid reflux Causes And Triggers

Recent events happening to a dear friend led me to scour the web for more information on acid reflux causes. My friend had three major attacks of heartburn in the space of two weeks. He had thought that he was having heart attacks and had to be rushed to the hospital each time. Initially the doctors could not detect what was wrong with him. Later, he was found to be having symptoms of acid reflux. Read on for what I found out about acid reflux causes.

The most common acid reflux cause is triggered from the physical inability of the lower oesophageal sphincter to prevent the stomach acid from travelling up the oesophagus. Unfortunately because this is a physical abnormality, most medications cannot address the root cause. Thus, the only solution is surgery to strengthen the sphincter, thus enabling it to open and close properly.

A condition called adult-ringed oesophagus is another physical abnormality associated with acid reflux causes. Here the lining of the oesophagus develops hardened rings of cartilage. This makes it hard for you to swallow. Hence, peristalsis (the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the oesophageal walls) is not able to move the food into the stomach effectively. As a result, the sphincter remains open for longer than normal, allowing the stomach acid to escape from the stomach and travel up the oesophagus and throat.

Another very common acid reflux causes is an abnormality of the stomach muscles. When these muscles are impaired, food remains in the stomach for too long. Acid production then becomes extreme.

A more serious but less common example of the acid reflux causes is the hiatal hernia. This is where a small section of the stomach becomes trapped in a natural hole in the diaphragm. This process in itself is not one of the acid reflux causes; however, it has an impact on the lower oesophageal sphincter resulting in incomplete closure. Again, this allows stomach acid to make its way up the oesophagus and causing the damage associated with the condition.

Chemical conditions also contribute to acid reflux causes. Certain drugs such as the non-steroid and anti-inflammatory drugs are widely thought to trigger acid reflux in some people. These type of drugs are often prescribed for pain and inflammation associated with many illnesses; so acid reflux is considered a possible side effect to consuming them.

It has been found that diabetes is often diagnosed in conjunction with acid reflux. As diabetics also need to be careful of what they eat, it may be a challenging task to plan a healthy diet that does not set off either condition.

Asthma is also commonly associated with acid reflux. However, it remains rather debateable as to whether asthma causes acid reflux or whether acid reflux causes latent asthma to develop. It would appear that more research on the cause-effect relationship between these two conditions.

My friend has since felt better after his three attacks. He is convinced that his acid reflux causes are diet-triggered with some careful observation. It was quite a scare but at least now with better understanding as to acid reflux causes and triggers, he is much more able to keep his condition under control.

Acid reflux symptoms can be easily treated with diet and lifestyle changes. For more information and resource, please visit this site here at www.treat-acid-reflux.com