Smoking
Studies have shown that smokers have decreased gastrointestinal motility while smoking, which can cause less efficient digestion.
Smoking can weaken the sphincter, allowing more of the stomach's contents into the esophagus - and causing heartburn. As well, smoking causes an increased production of acid and movement of intestinal bile into the stomach, which makes the burning back-flow more harmful. Pain from heartburn can also be increased if smoke has already damaged or weakened the esophagus.
Current research suggests that these effects are temporary and most problems will reverse themselves when smoking stops.
Weight
The number of overweight people in Canada has increased since the 1980s.
- A person is considered overweight if his or her actual weight is 10 to 20% above the average weight for a given height.
- A person is considered obese if his or her actual weight is over 20% above average weight.
Both conditions carry health risks, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer and gallbladder disease. When you are overweight, excessive pressure in the area of the stomach or abdomen pushes stomach contents back up into the esophagus, exacerbating heartburn. Extra weight in the mid-section, tight-waisted clothing, and strain from lifting can create enough pressure to trigger heartburn.
Studies have shown that exercise and weight reduction can decrease gastroesophageal reflux for obese people.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy results in an increased pressure on the stomach and a greater production of the hormone progesterone. This hormone relaxes many of the body’s muscles including the lower esophagheal sphincter.
Nearly 50% of pregnant women complain of heartburn in the later stages of pregnancy.
Hiatal Hernia
This is a very common condition in which the stomach pokes through the diaphragm, preventing the lower esophageal sphincter from closing completely, and allowing acid to travel more freely back into the esophagus. While hiatal hernias are not the cause of heartburn, larger hiatal hernias tend to develop in patients who have long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
