It is no surprise that stress and acid reflux go hand in hand. When examining the physical responses the body can have when under stress, it makes sense. Over 50% of acid reflux and heartburn sufferers say they feel that stress in their lives contributes to or increases their symptoms. In addition to the physiological changes our body undergoes, we may also contribute more to the problem with our habits when we are under more stress. We may smoke more, eat more, eat less healthy foods, and eat too quickly.
Acid reflux is defined as the action of stomach contents flowing back in to the esophagus. But how does stress cause or contribute to acid reflux?
One of the reasons stress may affect your acid reflux is because of the food that you eat while under stress. Most of us tend to reach for our favorite comfort foods in times of stress and these can be the very ones that set the reflux in motion. Foods high in fat take longer to digest, stay in the stomach longer, there-fore have a higher chance of acid back up. In addition, when we are under stress our bodies channel our blood flow to our arms and legs due to the fight or flight reaction, leaving less for the stomach, also resulting in a slower rate of digestion. What we drink can affect our stomachs as well. Alcohol, coffee and soda may relax the lower esophageal sphincter allowing the acid to flow back up.
Another physiological reason for the correlation between stress and acid reflux is that people under significant stress may experience a drop in hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which can help coat the stomach lining and protect it from acid.
Being under stress can impact the body in a number of negative ways, and the manifestation of acid reflux may be a warning sign to de-stress. There are several ways to do this and bring your acid production under control without the use of over the counter or prescription medications. The first is to exercise. The more you move, the more your digestive system moves, and the goal is to keep the food in your stomach digested. While heavy exercise isn’t advised until at least two hours after a meal, a long leisurely walk will do the trick. Secondly, take some time to breathe. Focus on your breathing, slow your heart rate down and calmness will follow.
Though there is no hard scientific evidence to prove that stress causes acid reflux, there is evidence to suggest that it aggravates it. By taking the time to get to the root of the stress, and to do what you can to undo it, your symptoms should reduce, if not disappear altogether.
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