Anatomy of Acid Reflux | The Real Underlying Cause

All cases of Acid Reflux are not the same.

There are two main causes of acid reflux and it is important to find out which one of these is underlying your symptoms so you can pick the most best treatment for you.

Contrary to popular belief, acid reflux symptoms are not caused by too much stomach acid. Rather it is from the normal acid ending up in a place it doesn’t belong – like your esophagus.

There are two primary underlying causes:

• damage to the stomach lining (from poor diet, smoking, alcohol, stress…)
• or a problem with the sphincter whose job is to keep the acid out of your esophagus

When the valve located at the entrance of your stomach (known as the lower esophageal sphincter or LES) does not close all the way or if it opens too often, this can cause the acid produced by your stomach to migrate to your esophagus. A burning in the chest is one of the most common acid reflux symptoms.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, MD, of the Huffington Post, functional medicine eliminates acid reflux symptoms by addressing the underlying causes.

Here are some common cause of LES valve problems or dysfunction:

• Smoking
• Being pregnant
• Being overweight
• Wearing tight waistbands or tight jeans
• Poor posture that puts pressure on the valve
• Any laparoscopic surgery (due to your organs being pushed around)
• Peppermint (it causes relaxation of your involuntary muscles)

Dr. Marina Rose, Chiropractor, uses Functional Nutrition to help people with challenging and chronic health conditions of various types, in and around the city of Palo Alto, CA. 
Click here to take Dr. Rose’s Nutritional Profile Quiz and get an overview of what your nutritional imbalances could be. You’ll get your results immediately.