Avoid these heartburn triggers

Also known as chronic acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, heartburn can lead to serious complications. Even though heartburn is caused by reflux of gastric acid in the food pipe, if a person has symptoms of heartburn for the first time it may be difficult to distinguish it from pain of cardiac origin, because that pain can sometimes mimic heartburn; and vice versa. Therefore, it is not advisable to take new heartburn lightly as it may require immediate medical consultation. Here are the top 5 heartburn triggers, which one must consider. Heartburn and Smoking. As if there were not enough reasons to quit smoking already; smoking is one of the main causes of heartburn too. Smoking can weaken the valve between the stomach and esophagus, making the fat-digesting bile salts to go to the small intestine, thus leading to heartburn. Large meals, fatty foods and heartburn. A giant greasy pizza along with a tall glass of iced coke might sound like an ideal meal on a Friday night, but watch out; this can be one of the main reasons why you might suffer from heartburn. Right after eating a meal full of calories, one may suffer from stomach stretching. This basically happens when the LES, the ring of the muscle that keeps the stomach acids from flowing in the unwanted direction stretches - acting as one of the main trigger of heartburn symptom. Heartburn and exercise. If you suffer from heartburn, then exercises such as crunches and extreme ab exercises can put extra pressure on the abdomen, pushing the stomach acids back into the esophagus. This leads to heartburn giving a feeling of burn. Also avoid exercise related to certain positions such as headstands and yoga moves reversing the natural flow of stomach, thus leading to heartburn. Also if you are a heartburn victim, never exercise on an empty stomach and wait for two hours after eating and before working out. Heartburn and medications. At times, many medications can also lead to heartburn. A regular use of medicines like aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs may play a havoc on oesophagus. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and prescription Cox-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex can lead to heartburn. Thus, it is a must to take these medications, with due permission from your doctor. Quick ways to prevent heartburn: Some of the quick ways to prevent heartburn are: Don't wear belts or clothes that are tight fitting around the waist. Make sure your bed clothes are loose-fitting. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Sleep on your left side. Studies have shown that this position aids digestion and helps with the removal of stomach acid. Sleeping on the right side has been shown to worsen heartburn. Avoid foods and beverages that can trigger reflux of stomach contents. Some foods and beverages increase the risk of reflux by relaxing the LES. These include alcohol; beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea and cola drinks; carbonated beverages; citrus fruits and juices; tomatoes and tomato sauces; chocolate; spicy and fatty foods, garlic and onion. Don't eat within two to three hours before bedtime. Elevate your head a few inches while you sleep.