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.