Heartburn is an extremely common condition among Americans. In this country alone, over 60 million people have issues with it every month. Heartburn is also referred to as acid indigestion, acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux. Heartburn results when stomach acid goes back up the esophagus. It can feel like a burning sensation moving from the breastbone area and then going up the throat.

Heartburn can also be accompanied by not only pressure in the throat, but also a bitter taste. Heartburn can last for a number of hours and certain foods can even make it feel worse:

1. Spicy foods

Foods that are spicy in nature can cause problems for those that suffer from heartburn. Many spicy foods contain capsaicin due to which issues can arise. Capsaicin is a compound that makes the digestion rate slower. This results in food staying in the stomach for a longer period of time. When this happens, heartburn can result. The spiciness in some foods can also be an irritant to the esophagus, especially when it is already inflamed. This can make those heartburn symptoms even worse.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol causes the lower esophageal sphincter to relax. When this happens, more stomach acid can go to the esophagus and cause the irritation that can lead to heartburn. Alcoholic drinks are also known to result in more stomach acid being produced. Again, this increase can cause more acid indigestion. Lastly, when people drink alcoholic beverages in excess, the esophageal lining can be damaged, making it much more vulnerable to the acids in the stomach.

3. Snack foods

Many snack foods contain a lot of fat and other ingredients that cause the sphincter muscle on the lower esophagus to relax. This allows the acid to flow up to the throat where heartburn is felt and can become extremely uncomfortable. The extra fat found in many snacks also leads to a slower digestion time. When the food stays in the stomach longer, then acid reflux can result.

4. Garlic and onions

Some foods that are not traditionally considered bad can also cause heartburn. Onions have a tendency to also relax the sphincter in the lower esophagus. As noted before, this causes acid to escape the stomach. Some of these same foods like onions and garlic, can cause increased belching because they are made of fermentable fiber. This increased belching can also make heartburn worse. The fermentable fibers are made up of a number of compounds that make digestion more difficult.

5. Chocolate

Chocolate also has the ability to cause the sphincter of the lower esophagus to relax. Again, as noted before, this results in the escape of stomach acid that comes into contact with the esophagus, making it much more sensitive. The serotonin, caffeine and theobromine found in this sweet treat also result in that same relaxation of the sphincter.

6. Citrus fruits

Many people experience heartburn after drinking citrus juices. Since there is a lot of acid in this type of juice, it seems to cause problems since it already adds to the particularly acidic contents of the stomach.

7. Greasy fast foods

Foods that contain a lot of fat take a much longer time to digest. This puts a lot more pressure on this esophageal sphincter. Again, when this happens, it tends to open and causes more acids to escape and flow up to the throat. Many of these foods include fast foods such as burgers and fries, along with donuts and other easy takeout foods.

Heartburn is such a common issue for so many. There are numerous medications that can help, but one of the easy things to do would be to analyze your diet. So many foods can cause stomach acids to escape the stomach and cause issues, resulting in the symptoms of acid reflux. Limiting some of these foods may have a positive impact on your battle with heartburn.