The most common question from acid reflux sufferers is, “What causes heartburn and how can I avoid it?” Most people would probably answer, “Diet,” and they’d be partially right. While diet is part of the problem, it’s not the main cause. It’s more of a physiological problem, to be exact. The stomach has a band, or a sphincter, that is supposed to hold the food in after it lands there to be digested. If, for any reason, the band doesn’t tighten up, the food goes back through the esophagus along with the accompanying digestive acids and the result is heartburn. No one can mistake the feeling: any time your chest and throat feel like it’s burning with inexplicable pain, that’s heartburn.

If you need to ask, “What does heartburn feel like,” then you’re one of the lucky ones. That means you don’t overeat or put too much pressure on your abdomen, which usually results in having a weak sphincter. Combine these two abuses with highly acidic food like coffee, tea, citrus, or tomatoes, spicy food like garlic, chili and onions, or just your basic chocolate bar, then you really have hell on your hands – or in your stomach. What causes heartburn could also be the most common condition of the era: stress. And if these highly stressed people relax themselves by smoking and drinking alcohol, well, you get the picture.

In short, what causes heartburn in modern man is simply lifestyle. So the common concept of diet as the main culprit is justified, to a certain extent. Modern man is a victim (?) of modern necessities. The need to succeed despite all odds, the need to have everything instantly, including food, the need to push the self beyond the limits, these are all triggers to heartburn and heart attacks, even if the two are not really related.

Knowing what causes heartburn unfortunately does not mean that people are going to learn to avoid those things that cause it. With the modern junk food and lifestyle that is encouraged even by the media, then there is no possibility to preventing it from happening. People refuse to give up their lifestyle, especially their double lattes in double sleeve, much else their smoking. Nicotine relaxes the LES, so if smokers ask what causes heartburn next time, just point to that cigarette.

Hard-headedness, that’s what causes heartburn. Being a thick skull, at least for me, is the main cause of heartburn. People just don’t realize that a good diet can change their lives for the better. Worse, when they are told what to do to prevent and stop the heartburn, they give the ‘evil eye.’ It’s like, they want to basically have their cake and eat it, without the repercussions.

Even if acid reflux sufferers know that a simple lifestyle change can take care of their problems with less medicines and complications, just knowing doesn’t mean that their problems are over. The sufferer has to be pro-active and take the change into his own hands, coupled with the guidance of his doctor. If you already know what causes heartburn for you, then simply eliminating that will ensure you have a happier and healthier life.

Cyndi Funaldi talks about solutions for heartburn at her blog where you can find out more about heartburn cure and what causes heartburn.