Causes

When you eat or drink, the food or liquid will pass from your mouth, into your oesophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach) and then into your stomach.

There is a muscle at the top of your stomach called the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) which normally opens and closes to let food into the stomach. It also stops the acid in the stomach from moving back into the oesophagus.

In people experiencing heartburn, the LES does not work properly and acid is allowed to pass up into the oesophagus (also known as acid reflux).

The oesophagus does not have the same protective lining as the stomach, so the acid, produced in the stomach, causes a burning sensation.

If you suffer from heartburn, you may find that certain things make you heartburn worse. These include:

• Food
  
  
  • Certain foods or drinks, including alcohol may make heartburn worse. Some people find that fruit juices, highly spiced foods, coffee and chocolate are associated with heartburn.
    
    
  • Large meals may increase the pressure in the stomach, causing the LES to open.
    
    
  • Fatty foods will slow the emptying of the stomach and may increase the risk of heartburn.
    
    
  • If you suffer from heartburn, it is not a good idea to eat too close to bedtime as this may increase the risk of heartburn.
    
    
• Smoking
  
  
• Pregnancy – the increased pressure on the stomach due to the size of the baby, and hormonal changes which occur during pregnancy, may cause the LES to open.
  
  
• Medical conditions
  
  
  • If the muscle in the LES does not work properly.
    
    
  • If the stomach produces too much acid, it will be more likely that acid may leak into the oesophagus.
    
    
  • Patients with hiatal hernias have an increased risk of suffering from heartburn. An hiatal hernia is where a small part of the stomach sticks out above the diaphragm into the chest. This prevents the LES from working properly.
    
    
  • People who are obese are more likely to suffer from heartburn.
    
    
• Some medicines can affect the LES so that it does not work properly. These include aspirin, oral contraceptives, tetracycline and iron supplements.
  
  
• Wearing tight clothes around the stomach may initiate heartburn.
  
  
• Exercise or bending may bring on heartburn.