The Most Common Culprits Behind Your Heartburn

Shutterstock

Whether you’re 17 or 71, odds are that you’ve experienced heartburn at least once in your life, if not more. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, more than 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month, and an estimated 15 million Americans deal with the painful symptom on a daily basis.

But while most people are able to identify when they’re experiencing heartburn, few can point to the cause of the complication. Herein, we’ve highlighted some of the most common culprits behind heartburn so you can get to the bottom of your acid reflux discomfort.

You have GERD

GERD, more formally known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or acid reflux, is a digestive disorder that causes stomach acid to flow into the esophagus. According to Atif Iqbal, MD, FACS, FASMBS, medical director of the Digestive Care Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, “heartburn is one symptom” of the disease. If left untreated, he says, it “may develop changes in the lining of the esophagus leading to Barrett’s disease and esophageal cancer.”

You’re overweight

If you suffer from frequent episodes of heartburn, then you might want to get your weight and BMI checked. One 2005 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology analyzed 196 individuals and found that there was a correlation between a person’s BMI and their frequency of heartburn.

Specifically, 39 percent of the individuals who experienced heartburn were obese, whereas only 26 percent of those without the symptom were.

There’s too much fructose in your diet

Is your diet full of fatty foods like soda, candy, cookies, and other sugary substances? If so, then it could be the cause of your heartburn. “Most Americans consume far too much fructose in their diet and this can lead to heartburn,” explains Ken Berry, MD, author of Lies My Doctor Told Me.

“Eating or drinking too much fructose, or high-fructose corn syrup, can inflame the stomach and overwork the liver, and so decreasing the number of soft drinks and fruit juices consumed can often improve heartburn quite a bit.”

You’re eating dinner too late at night

It’s not just what foods you eat, but also when you eat them that can contribute to whether you experience heartburn. “A major culprit [of heartburn] is the displacement of dinnertime to later evening hours, often after 7 p.m. and frequently including a gargantuan meal consisting of fatty foods, chocolate, and/or wine,” says Morton Tavel, MD, clinical professor at Indiana University School of Medicine and author of Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks: A Physician’s Advice. “These all contribute to delayed emptying of the stomach together with increased acid production.”

If you want to avoid the heartburn that you’re all too familiar with at night, Tavel suggests moving your dinnertime to before 7 p.m. as well as reducing the size of your evening meal. If eating earlier just isn’t plausible, then try to eat at least three hours before you plan to hit the hay.

You have a food allergy

“In my clinical experience, heartburn can be a symptom of underlying gastrointestinal disorders including food allergies,” says Krisel Nagallo, ND, a naturopathic physician. Indeed, the Cleveland Clinic lists heartburn as one of the common symptoms of food intolerance, and Mark Hyman, MD, notes on his blog that common culprits of heartburn “include dairy and gluten-containing foods like wheat, barley, rye, and oats.”

You lie flat in bed

How you position yourself when you lie in bed has an impact on whether you experience heartburn. “Gravitational forces created by lying flat in bed promote acid reflux,” explains Tavel. For relief, he suggests elevating the entire upper body “through the use of a wedge under the upper mattress or by placing blocks under the legs of the bed at the head end to elevate the upper portion by at least 6 to 12 inches.”

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

READ NEXT

These Are the Worst Hereditary Conditions

We inherit a lot of who we are from our parents and extended family, some good and some bad. Unfortunately, in some cases, serious and potentially debilitating diseases are passed

6 Simple Workouts: How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

First, exercising in general significantly improves your health, according to the National Sleep Foundation. In a 2011 study from the Journal of Sleep Research, participants slept just as soundly on

8 Signs You Might Need an Eye Exam Immediately

According to the report for the 2016 National Health Interview Survey, 25.5 million Adult Americans 18 and older reported experiencing vision loss. No one wants to experience vision loss, so

7 Eating Habits That Raise Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that’s found in your blood. Your body needs it in order to make hormones, vitamin D, and certain substances that help you digest foods. However,

5 Surprising Causes of Snoring

Snoring affects 90 million Americans and the majority of these people “are unaware of why they snore or what snoring could indicate about their overall health,” according to Jagdeep Bijwadia,

7 Simple Home Remedies for Arthritis

Capsaicin Capsaicin is the substance that gives chili peppers their spicy heat. It works by depleting a neurotransmitter called Substance P. This protein transmits pain signals from nerve endings to

6 Super Foods That Lower Cholesterol Naturally

When you’re looking to change your cholesterol stats, foods that lower cholesterol can play a vital role. To start, add foods that are known to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol or

10 Everyday Habits That Cause Wrinkles

Forgetting to slather on SPF is perhaps the biggest sin we commit against our skin, but these seemingly innocent moves can also sabotage even the healthiest complexions – check them

Clear Signs You’re Having an Allergic Reaction

As you know, your immune system guards your body against harmful bacteria and viruses. In certain cases, your immune system will also defend against substances that normally don’t pose a

Scroll to Top