Causes of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

The cause of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, varies considerably. It happens when the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach is weak. Some people are naturally born with a weak lower esophageal sphincter or muscle, but for others, their lifestyle, activities, medications, or their diet are huge contributors for this.

Sometimes GERD is caused by a hiatal hernia which occurs when the upper part of the stomach is above the diaphragm which is the muscle wall that separates the stomach from the chest. This muscle wall helps to keep acid from coming up into the esophagus, but when a hernia is present it makes it much easier for the acid to come up. Therefore the hiatal hernia is to blame for the GERD, and it can happen to someone at any age but is most commonly found in people over 50 years old.

Lifestyle factors are considerably to blame for GERD. One such factor is alcohol use. When drinking large quantities of alcohol it can relax the lower esophageal sphincter and may irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus. By drinking any amount of alcohol you are increasing your stomach acid levels, and if you combine alcohol with other factors such as smoking you are doing more to increase those levels. However, what is interesting about alcohol is that if it is ingested in small amounts it can actually protect the muscle layer. Although no alcohol is better than even a little bit in most cases where someone is either genetically predisposed to GERD or they have other risk factors.

Other causes of GERD include smoking, being overweight, eating fatty or spicy foods, and drinking coffee. Eating foods with a high acid content such as tomatoes or orange juice can also lead to GERD or symptoms of GERD. When it comes to eating it is important to fully digest your food before lying down because that is when your acid content is at its highest and since you don't have the gravity of sitting upright to lower the acid traveling up to your esophagus it is important that you allow the acid to settle before going to sleep. Snacking before bedtime should be stopped, and it is recommended that you stop eating at least three hours before you go to bed. In women, pregnancy can be a major cause of GERD, although this is usually the kind that ends shortly after giving birth and not a form of GERD that lasts for a long time.

Other causes of GERD are:

  • Diabetes
  • Asthma
  • Scleroderma
  • Peptic
  • Medicines such as aspirin, Benadryl, calcium channel blockers, bronchial inhalers, tetracycline, iron supplements, nitrates, Viagra, pseudoephedrine, and Valium just to name a few.

As you can see, the causes vary but if you have a combination of these factors you are more at risk for developing GERD at some point in your life.