Causes and Harmful Effects of an Awful Heartburn

Are you aware of the term Heartburn????

Well, you may be suffering from it but you might not know what it actually is. So, here is an answer.

The burning sensation in the chest behind the breast bone especially in the esophagus is called heart burn. It is also called pyrosis, or acid indigestion. It is very painful and may result in severe throat, neck or jaw pain. Very often people associate heart burn with the reiteration of gastric acid. So, what actually causes heartburn is to be known when you are once over with the reading of this article.

1. Chocolate- Here is a fact which may leave a lot of people highly disappointed that chocolate is also a major cause of heartburn. Theobromine is a natural compound present in the chocolate which not only relaxes your muscles in the esophagus but also allows the stomach acid to squeeze up.
2. Alcohol- It is also a very common and possible cause of heartburn. Just like the chocolate ingredient theobromine, alcohol also relaxes a few muscles and does make way for the acids to enter esophagus. Alcohol also plays an active role in increasing the production of various stomach acids which can result in heartburn.
3. Caffeine- The lower esophagus which is the cause of the flowing back of the stomach contents is made to relax by the caffeine. Ample intake of caffeine rich products such as tea, coffee, or soda may lead to heartburn and could be dangerously injurious to you.
4. Eating just before going to bed or even lying down- The pressure on the lower esophagus increases if you lay down while your stomach is full. This is another cause of heartburn.
5. Intake of large quantities of food- When you eat, a lot the pressure on the esophagus increases drastically leading to heartburn.
6. Intake of greasy food- Intake of fried, greasy and junk food slows down the digestion process which makes the stomach contents to build increasing the pressure in the stomach which ultimately causes the pressure on the esophagus resulting in heartburn.
7. Tomatoes-Tomatoes and its products like tomato ketchup, tomato puree, etc. can cause heartburn. These products relax the esophagus muscles which ultimately allow the acids to enter the esophagus resulting in heartburn.
8. Tobacco- It is an obvious cause of heartburn for the fact that it contains various harmful chemicals which are a cause of weakening the lower esophagus ensuing in heartburn.

Now you might be aware of the causes of heartburn so, you can easily take the precautionary steps along with the proper medication which will keep you heartburn free.