There’s no sensation quite like heartburn. It comes with a full feeling in the stomach, a burning in the esophagus, and often a terrible taste at the back of the throat.
A lot of different everyday foods and activities can contribute to or even cause heartburn to flare. Some medications can, too.
Generally, heartburn happens for one or more, of three reasons. There is a ring at the base of the esophagus, called the esophageal sphincter. Its job is to close off the esophagus from the stomach.
Some foods, activities and medications can relax the esophageal sphincter, which lets acids rise. Some can irritate the stomach or esophagus, and increase acid production. And some can even slow down the rate at which the stomach normally digests food.
Here is a list of 10 foods and activities that can cause, or worsen, heartburn, and some possible ways to help avoid it.
Trigger #1: Tobacco Use
Tobacco can impair the ability of the lower esophageal sphincter to function like it’s supposed to. Generally, this ring opens when you swallow, and closes again after. Tobacco can make the ring weaker, which can allow stomach acids to rise.
Nicotine can also increase the production of acid in the stomach, and reduces saliva production. With less saliva, swallowing is less effective at keeping acids in the stomach. There is also evidence that suggests tobacco smoke causes direct irritation of the esophagus.
These issues apply to smoking, naturally, but they also apply to chewing tobacco, snuff, and nicotine gum. Any tobacco product can cause heartburn to surface, or make it worse.
Trigger #2: Taking Certain Medications
Ibuprofen is one of the most common acid triggers that might be causing you pain, says Health.com. Others include drugs for strengthening the bones, blood pressure medications (including potassium), aspirin, sedatives, iron supplements, certain tricyclic antidepressants, and antibiotics.
If you experience heartburn and are taking any of these drugs, talk with your doctor about whether there is an alternative. For example, acetaminophen might be a good replacement for ibuprofen.
In some cases, an enteric-coated version of the same medication is enough to make a difference. Enteric coatings seal a pill with a food-safe polymer that won’t dissolve until it passes through the stomach and into the intestines. Once it reaches the intestines, the heartburn risk is over.
Trigger #3: Peppermint
This traditional tummy soother is a wolf in disguise, when it comes to triggering heartburn. Peppermint can relax the esophageal sphincter, so leave the mint at the table.
Candy isn’t the only way people consume peppermint. Teas, cookies, and other foods that contain the herb can have the same effect.
Trigger #4: Alcohol
Alcohol in moderation is usually fine. When moderation gives way to excess, you can get heartburn. Alcohol, including beer, liquor, and wine, have the same relaxing effect on the esophageal sphincter than many other items on this list have.
If you combine alcohol with a large evening meal, you might have a very challenging night ahead of you. Stick to one or two drinks, and you may have less risk of heartburn.
Trigger #5; Caffeinated Beverages, Maybe?
Tea and coffee are part of the same group that relaxes the esophageal sphincter. But caffeine is confusing. HealthLine explains that when coffee and tea drinkers were evaluated, both felt the effect of heartburn.
Here’s where it gets fuzzy. Decaffeinated coffee resulted in a lower likelihood of heartburn, but decaf tea didn’t seem to make a difference. Caffeine might not be the culprit here after all.
Trigger #6: High-Fat Foods
Fatty foods don’t necessarily cause heartburn, but they create an environment where it’s more likely. The same goes for overly large meals. When you eat a large, fatty meal, pressure on the esophageal sphincter causes discomfort, plus it can allow stomach acids to escape.
Fatty foods are digested more slowly. And the stomach produces acid as long as there is food, any kind of food, inside. So with a bellyful of slow-digesting fatty food, you could be in for heartburn. Lie down to take a nap, and it could be even worse.
Trigger #7: Chocolate
Say it isn’t so! Chocolate, like so many others on this list, relaxes that ring around the base of the esophagus, and lets stomach acids back-flow. Health.com suggests that chocolate encourages heartburn in three ways — it’s got caffeine, it’s got fat, and it’s got cocoa, which is believed to cause reflux.
If heartburn is a real problem, you might want to consider cutting back on this sweet treat. If you do indulge, just be aware of the possible result.
Trigger #8: Citrus
Acid begets acid, or so it seems. Acidic citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, oranges, lemon, limes, and the juice of citrus fruits can cause heartburn to flare up, explains Web.com. The effect is apparently more pronounced when citrus is eaten on an empty stomach.
Citrus is important for a healthy diet. If you connect heartburn symptoms with your citrus intake, you might have success eating or drinking it with something else on your stomach first.
Trigger #9: Jumping and Other Exercises
Stomach acid backing into the esophagus is what creates that classic heartburn feeling. And any activity that helps acids move up can only serve to make the condition worse. Jumping, crunching, and otherwise jostling and squeezing the stomach should be avoided if heartburn is a problem. It might not cause it, but it can make heartburn worse.
Exercise is important for health, of course. So instead of using heartburn for a reason to avoid it, try varying your routine to include less jumping and crunching.
Trigger #10: Sex
Yes, sex can make heartburn worse. No one expects you to actually avoid it, but you should understand the connection. When you’re more horizontal, acids have an easier time moving into the esophagus. Combine that with the physical activity of sex, and you’ve got heartburn. That’s a mood killer.
Dr. George Krucik for Healthline says a few changes might help. Avoid lying totally flat or on your stomach, and don’t have a big meal before sex.
At some point, most people will experience heartburn. Although it’s not dangerous, at least not when it’s an occasional problem, it’s nonetheless unpleasant.
Some foods, activities, and even some medications can trigger the discomfort, but relief might be as simple as cutting back on what’s causing yours. If heartburn is more than a nuisance that shows up after an indulgent meal, then it might be time to consider a medication such as Nexium, which is proven to help.
eDrugstore.com sells the heartburn relief medication, Nexium, which can make a real difference in reducing your heartburn symptoms. It can even help heal damage to the esophagus when taken regularly for 8 weeks. We offer the privacy and convenience of online ordering, and your discreetly-packed shipment arrives right at your door. If you’re ready to try something that works, see what eDrugstore.com has to offer.
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