If you’ve been dealing with acid reflux on a regular basis you’ve come to the right place! On this blog, we discuss what causes acid reflux and how you can get rid of it for good by healing your body.
Discloser: I am not a trained health professional. All articles are based on my own experience and opinions. Please consult with a health professional before making lifestyle changes.
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Acid reflux can be caused by many different things, but regardless it can be annoying and painful.
As a child, I struggled with chronic acid reflux until I finally decided to do something about it and instead focused on healing my body.
Now I help people like you understand what’s causing your acid reflux and what you can do about it.
What is Acid Reflux
Let’s start by understanding what acid reflux really is.
Acid reflux is a digestive problem that can be occasional or chronic.
It happens when food hits your stomach and acids and enzymes start to break it down for digestion. These acids are really powerful and your stomach lining is strong enough to prevent any damage.
Your esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. It has a small valve at the end that will open and close to prevent stomach acid from entering the esophagus. However, when that valve doesn’t close properly it allows some of that stomach acid to travel back up into your esophagus causing a burning sensation and other discomforts.
Symptoms of Acid reflux
Acid reflux can vary in pain levels but the typical symptoms include:
- Heartburn
- Regurgitation (food coming back into your mouth from the esophagus)
- Feeling like food is stuck in your throat
- Coughing
- Chest pain
- Problem swallowing
- Sore throat
GERD
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive disorder that affects that valve at the end of your esophagus and causes chronic acid reflux. It can cause excessive pain and damage to your esophagus.
GERD is basically the extreme end of acid reflux and may require professional treatment.
If you are diagnosed with GERD you may be prescribed medication or you may be able to manage the pain on your own through diet and lifestyle changes.
Heartburn vs GERD
Having occasional heartburn does not mean you have GERD.
Typically GERD occurs when you experience acid reflux more than two times a week and often experience difficulty swallowing. If you think you might have GERD you should see a doctor to determine the best course of action.
However, heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux. To most people, it feels like a burning sensation in the middle of your chest and is caused by irritation to the lining of the esophagus caused by stomach acid.
Heartburn may come on at any time but is likely to happen after eating or when you’re laying down.
That being said, GERD is a chronic acid reflux condition whereas heartburn is just one symptom of acid reflux.
What causes acid reflux
We know acid reflux happens when stomach acid comes in contact with the esophagus due to the valve at the end of the esophagus not working properly, but what causes that to happen?
Typically the answer you’ll find is inflammation.
What causes inflammation? Well, a lot of things could trigger inflammation for you. Everyone may have something slightly different that triggers their acid reflux but here are the common causes of acid reflux:
Food triggers
Spicy foods or inflammatory foods may cause acid reflux. Here’s a list of foods that cause acid reflux.
Stress
Stress is a common cause of inflammation and in turn, a trigger for acid reflux for many people.
Poor Gut Health
A lot of health issues start in your gut and trickle throughout your body. If you experience acid reflux, skin issues, headaches, and other stomach issues your gut may need some extra attention.
Smoking
Smoking causes the valve between your stomach and esophagus to relax, allowing more acid to re-enter your throat. It’s recommended you avoid smoking altogether.
Some medications
Antibiotics and other prescriptions can mess us our gut balance and in turn create more inflammation. If you need to stay on a regular prescription you may need to take extra steps to keep your gut healthy to prevent acid reflux.
Pressure on abdomen
Being overweight, pregnant, wearing tight pants, or even eating heavy meals can cause too much pressure on your abdomen.
How to treat acid reflux quickly
Have a flare-up and need some quick relief? Check out my favorite home remedies to get rid of acid reflux.
How to prevent acid reflux
Chronic acid reflux can cause damage to your esophagus so you need to help your body heal so it can properly digest your food. Doing this can take some time and dedication but I was able to do it.
Here’s how I got off of my daily antacids and allowed my body to heal and here’s my guide on how you can do the same in four weeks.
After you get your body to stop relying on antacids you can work on healing your body so you don’t have to deal with acid reflux every day.
When to see a doctor
Of course, it is best to see a doctor if you have chronic acid reflux and can’t seem to manage it on your own or prevent it through lifestyle. Often chronic acid reflux can be a sign of other underlying issues. If you experience any of the following please see a professional:
- Severe chest pain
- Change in stool color
- Bloody vomit
- Unexpected weight loss
- Trouble swallowing