Posted by Robb Briggs on Saturday, August 13, 2011
Gastroesophageal Reflux disease or acid reflux occurs when the acid
from the stomach goes back to the esophagus. This is caused by the weakening of
the Lower esophageal sphincter or LES. The LES serves as a gate or a passageway
of the food from the esophagus into the stomach and it prevents stomach acid
from going back to the esophagus.
The weakening of the Lower esophageal sphincter is caused by
the lifestyle that person has. Here are the causes of acid reflux:
OBESITY- when a person is overweight, the pressure on the
stomach and the diaphragm increases.
HIATAL HERNIA- when a part of the chest swells in to a part
of the stomach, it increases heartburn and weakens the lower esophageal
sphincter.
FOOD and DRINK- the food that a person eats can cause GERD,
food like spicy food, acid rich food, fatty and fried food,drinks that are rich in caffeine and
alcohol. These food and drinks can weaken the LES.
PREGNANCY- when a person is pregnant, the elevated progestin
hormones pressure the LES to go down. The pressure of the uterus that is
growing leads to acid reflux.
GASTROPARESIS- this is a disorder where the stomach takes a
long time in emptying its contents.When
the stomach takes too long in emptying its contents, the contents will go back
up to the esophagus.
These are
just some of the causes of GERD. You can search the internet for more
information.