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Millions of people around the world suffer from gastric acid reflux and the number of cases is constantly increasing. If you have ever experienced it yourself, you surely know how unpleasant it is. Reflux is diagnosed when the acidic contents of the stomach regularly flow back into the esophagus, which causes a burning sensation, pain and abrasions on the mucous membranes. Let’s take a closer look at this problem and see why you experience these conditions.
What are the main symptoms?
There are seven main symptoms in total. You may encounter a burning sensation in the chest that sometimes extends up into the throat and causes a very bitter taste in the mouth. You have certainly experienced heartburn before. Another symptom is difficulty swallowing, chest pain (mainly in the lower part) or throat pain. You may also experience a feeling of a lump in the throat, a dry cough or vomiting. Many factors can contribute to these conditions and lead to reflux.
Why does this happen?
One factor that you can definitely influence is smoking. We all know that smoking is not healthy, but few know that it can also cause heartburn. Nicotine relaxes the sphincter between the lower esophagus and the stomach, which leads to reflux. Certain medications can also cause it. This is mainly caused by painkillers like ibuprofen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, blood pressure medications or antibiotics.
Another possible cause is taking fish oil, which is very useful as a dietary supplement and strengthens our health, but at the same time can cause acid reflux. If you are taking it and experiencing heartburn, stop immediately, otherwise the problems will only get worse. A common final cause of stomach reflux is simply stress. Stress increases the production of stomach acids. Your body can therefore feel heartburn solely due to mental strain. You can try not only medications for heartburn but also breathing exercises, meditation or yoga to reduce stress.
