What causes heartburn and how to stop it are two questions asked by many patients, at least in the initial stages of their ailment. The answer lies in a combination of lifestyle changes and over the counter medications. In the case of lifestyle changes, one of the things that usually helps is a change in diet. This is why so many patients have heartburn in the first place: their diets do not allow for the body’s natural digestive enzymes to do their job properly. When this happens, gastric contents, already full of acid, flow back up into the esophagus instead of just going down the throat.
Another common lifestyle culprit is smoking. Smoking dehydrates the body, but it also slows down digestive processes, allowing for more acid to be put back into the stomach and, thus, heartburn. If possible, quit smoking as soon as possible, but if that is not an option, try to cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke per day as this can help, too. Some say that quitting smoking alone will not prevent heartburn, but if you add a few other things to your lifestyle that are associated with heartburn, the numbers may increase.
Eating too much, or eating the wrong types of foods, is another factor in the cause of heartburn. Even if you eat the right foods, too much of a good thing can cause indigestion, belching, and other unpleasant side effects that occur when stomach acid and food flow back up into the esophagus. Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day can help you feel fuller, stop overeating, and reduce the amount of heartburn you experience.
How much stress you’re experiencing can also be the cause of heartburn. In today’s fast-paced world, many people find themselves feeling stressed out all the time. Not only that, but they must eat constantly throughout the day to make sure they’re staying fit and healthy. If these things sound like you, then you’re going to have issues dealing with heartburn at some point. Try to find some way to deal with those issues so that you can stop suffering from heartburn and its painful side effects.
Smoking is one of the main causes of heartburn for many people. If you’re a smoker, chances are you’ve used up most of your non-stick cookware and need to replace it. Or, if you haven’t used any cookware of any kind, then you probably know how hard that is. Fortunately, if you stop smoking now, you’ll be able to stop your heartburn before it gets worse and even prevent it from happening in the first place.
Of course, one of the most common causes of heartburn is the types of foods we eat. We all know that fatty foods can make us sick, and many of us avoid fatty foods in an effort to prevent heartburn. While this is a good strategy, if you’re not careful, it can actually lead to more stomach problems than you thought, so it’s always best to keep an eye on what you eat.
