Smoking, Medication and Exercise: What May Really Be Causing Your Heartburn

Heartburn is a common ailment that plagues a large number of people. It can be restrictive and somewhat crippling. Pregnancy and spicy foods are common causes that we all immediately suspect. However, there may be another reason you are suffering from heartburn. Here are a couple other, somewhat unusual reasons you might be suffering.

Smoking

As if smoking wasn't bad for you in so many other ways, it may be causing your heartburn too. There is strong evidence that suggests that smoking damages the esophageal sphincter, which allows stomach acid to to leak into the esophagus. Smoking can also affect your salivary glands, preventing the production of saliva that would normally clear the acid. This can be dangerous and lead to certain cancers. The best option? Quit smoking. If not, try to severely reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke, and this will improve your heartburn.

Medication

There are certain medications that can cause heartburn. The most common culprits are medications that treat heart disease and high blood pressure. These medications relax the chest muscles, including the esophageal sphincter. This will cause stomach acid to enter the esophagus. Medications that treat osteoporosis can have a similar affect. Women who take this medication are often advised not to lay down after taking it.

If you think this is what is causing your heartburn, talk to your doctor, and try to avoid eating any foods that may cause heartburn, such as spicy foods and citrus.

Over Exercising

That's right, exercising can cause heartburn. Straining can cause more pressure, which in turn causes acid to splash into the esophagus. Different people are affected different ways. Some experience after running and other aerobic activities, others experience it when they lift weights.

There are a number of things you can do however, to help reduce heartburn. Avoid fatty foods right before you work out, and try to eat smaller meals. This will help digestion. Also, drink either a sports drink or a lot of water to help keep stomach acid in check.

Sugar

Refined sugar is a growing problem in many people's diets. Most Americans get way more than the recommended daily dose of sugar. This can cause heartburn as pressure builds up in the chest. Try to avoid a diet high in sugar, which means cutting down on candy, cake and especially soda.

Hypochlorhydria

This is a condition where the stomach actually has too little stomach acid. It sounds like that couldn't cause heartburn, but it does. When there is too little stomach acid, bacteria can grow. This creates gasses and fatty acids that can build up and cause pressure. So what stomach acid you do have is pushed up into your esophagus.

There is a test for this. Take a teaspoon of apple vinegar or lemon juice. If it burns immediately, you may have too much stomach acid. If you feel a warm sensation, then your levels are good. If it takes more than one or two teaspoons to feel anything, your levels might be too low. If this is the case, see a doctor. There are supplements available, many in health food stores, that can increase your stomach acid levels.

Sources:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/unusual-causes-of-heartburn.html#

http://notesapps.unon.org/notesapps/unonbb.nsf/Search/A3742F54F2180C13432576A1005CC3D2?OpenDocument

http://www.gi.org/patients/women/whatisgerd.asp

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=13388

http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Hypochlorhydria_-_lack_of_stomach_acid_-_can_cause_lots_of_problems