The causes of heartburn and acid reflux

Part 1 – Why heartburn is dangerous if you don’t deal with it

Summary

  • Heartburn is very common, but just because it’s common, we shouldn’t consider it “normal”
  • Most people don’t realise that having regular bouts of heartburn for many years dramatically increases the risk of developing esophageal sphincter
  • If you have heartburn on a regular basis, I recommend you pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you
  • Terminology can be confusing:
    • 1. heartburn is a sensation you feel
    • 2. acid reflux is where acid and stomach contents splash into the esophagus
    • 3. gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or GORD) is the technical term for acid reflux and may involve damage to the esophageal lining
  • There are many possible causes, which are covered in forthcoming videos
  • A 1999 study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that people with esophageal cancer were 7.7 times more likely to have experienced heartburn in the years prior to their cancer diagnosis compared with people who did not have cancer.
  • The same study reported that people with esophageal cancer were a massive 43.5 times more likely to have experienced intense or severe heartburn before their cancer compared with people who did not have cancer.
  • The take home message is: a little bit of heartburn today could turn into a lot of trouble “tomorrow.”
  • This is why I do not recommend you ignore heartburn and acid reflux!

Watch the other videos in this series

  1. Why heartburn is dangerous (deal with it immediately!) (You are here)
  2. General overview of heartburn and acid reflux causes
  3. How food and diet can cause heartburn and reflux
  4. How medical drugs and recreational drugs can cause heartburn
  5. How H. pylori causes heartburn
  6. How Candida, SIBO and parasites cause heartburn
  7. Why high or low stomach acid can cause heartburn
  8. How a hiatal hernia can cause heartburn and reflux
  9. The benefits and drawbacks of taking acid blocking medications (H2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors, etc.)
  10. How to wean yourself off acid blocking medications

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Best,

Dave.