Aging and Disease

Acid reflux has many causes. Most people think that eating fatty foods or
drinking too much are the main causes. This is not the whole truth however. Some
people can produce an excessive amount of stomach acid naturally and this in
turn leads to acid reflux. There is far more than one single cause for this
condition.

The lower esophageal sphincter is one of the major factors in the occurrence of
acid reflux. The lower esophageal sphincter is the muscular tube that extends
from the bottom of your throat to the stomach. Think of the lower esophageal
sphincter as the gatekeeper to the food moving from the throat, or esophagus, to
the stomach as the food is being digested. In the vast majority of people this
muscle (the LES) functions properly. When it does not the trouble begins.

What Is The LES?

The LES is designed to open and close to allow food to move
from the throat to the stomach. When the LES works correctly any food you eat
will be swallowed and passed into the stomach to be digested. People who suffer
from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) actually have a lower esophageal
sphincter that does not function properly, letting partially digested food out to
wreck havoc in your esophagus.

There are two ways that the LES can stop working properly and cause problems:

1. Weak Contraction.

This dramatically reduces the bodies ability to prevent
acid reflux.

2. Transient Relaxation.

This basically means the LES stays open too long and
acid can then “splash” back upwards into the esophagus.

A Thought To Take Away…

Something to bear in mind, for everyone reading this, is how the stomach reacts when you eat. If you eat a large meal your stomach will become distended (basically it becomes swollen). This can cause the LES to
become overloaded with food which it cannot process properly and then acid reflux
occurs. The main point here is that even people who do not suffer from acid
reflux will experience severe heartburn if they eat a large meal in a hurry -
your stomach simply cannot cope with it.

Be kind to your LES and it will repay the favor.

Tags: Disease, Medical

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