Acid reflux is really just a symptom of an underlying condition. However, many conditions can cause acid reflux, which often makes it harder to treat.  Among the contributing potential causes can be: hiatal hernias, pregnancy, defective lower esophageal sphincters, insufficient digestive enzymes, asthma, and lifestyle.

So, let’s take a look at few of these…

A hiatal hernia can cause acid reflux as a result of impairing the function of the lower esophageal sphincter.  Hiatial hernias are a condition that occurs when the upper part of the stomach ‘pokes’ through into the chest cavity via a small opening in the diaphragm. 

The diaphragm is the muscle separating the chest from the stomach. This condition is usually the results from severe cases of vomiting, coughing, straining, or a sudden exertion.  Obesity, pregnancy and advancing age also increase the risk of hiatal hernia. When hiatal hernia and acid reflux occur at the same time, symptoms of both tend to be more severe.

Pregnancy can cause acid reflux within the last trimester because as the baby grows, it puts pressure on the stomach, forcing some of the contents back up into the esophagus.  In this case, antacids and other similar medications will not help to provide relief to heartburn symptoms.  Instead, it is recommended that pregnant women eat smaller, more frequent meals so that there is never too much in the stomach.  Once the baby is born, the symptoms will typically stop.

For similar reasons to pregnancy obesity can also cause acid reflux as the stomach becomes constricted by the excess weight.

Another cause of acid reflux is a defective lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This can easily cause acid reflux, due to a malfunctioning esophagus that does not effectively seal off the stomach from the lower esophagus, allowing stomach contents to rise up.  A defective LES can mean that it is not strong enough to keep food in the stomach, or it may relax once food has passed through, allowing it to come back up again, causing the burning sensation and acidic taste.

Insufficient levels of digestive enzymes can also cause acid reflux as without sufficient volumes, digestion can become delayed. This results in food remaining in the stomach for longer, allowing stomach acids to build up and leading to a higher risk of acid reflux.

Even asthma is linked to acid reflux – with there being evidence that asthma is both a cause and also a possible effect of acid reflux.  The theory of asthma causing acid reflux, it can be explained by the coughing, sneezing, and other forceful respiratory events associated with asthma, pushing acid from the stomach into the esophagus.  Some asthmatic drugs also list acid reflux as a potential side effect.

Of course, lifestyle can also have a tremendous impact on acid reflux.  Your lifestyle choices can cause acid reflux through overeating, smoking, stress, and even the foods you eat such as salty or fatty foods.  Solutions can range from changing your lifestyle, losing excess weigh, taking typical antacids that you see at the convenience store or drug store to more long term lifestyle changes.

Although this article has only touched on some of the underlying conditions and factors that cause acid reflux, it shows the diversity of potential triggers. Many treatments look at resolving the symptoms without tackling the underlying cause, which in the end will never solve the problem for good.

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