Gastroesophageal reflux, more commonly known as acid reflux is the most frequent disorder of the stomach and the esophagus. It is often characterized by varying symptoms including heartburn, indigestion, bloating, burping, nausea, dry cough and burning sensation in the throat. when acid from the stomach flows back to the esophagus.

The symptoms become more severe when a person’s pH level is highly acidic. The normal pH level of healthy individuals ranges from 7.2 to 7.6. When the pH level falls below 7.0 it is considered acidic which presents a perfect environment for acid reflux to occur. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes an alkaline diet, regular exercise, stress-free living, and a dose of pH balancer is a major step in acid reflux prevention.

A number of things most of which are unhealthy habits trigger symptoms related to acid reflux.

Stress.
Anxiety and stress have always been implicated as the main trigger for acid reflux attacks. As stressors from work, family, and other activities increase, people tend to engage in more unhealthy habits, to cope with the pressure that further worsens acid reflux-related symptoms.

More than half of the people who suffer from heartburn say that a hectic lifestyle and work-related stress contribute a lot in instigating heartburn. Stress increases sensitivity in the abdominal area making the person unusually oversensitive.

Binge eating.
Heavy and large meals, eating on the run, lying down after a meal can set the stage for heartburn. When you binge eat your stomach is stimulated to overproduce digestive acids in response to the large amount of food intake. Likewise, high glycemic foods like chocolate and sweets, fatty meal, spicy foods and citrus fruits can also trigger acid reflux. Consuming these foods in small amounts if not avoiding them at all will greatly ease the symptoms associated with heartburn.

Acidic Beverages.
Coffee, caffeinated teas, colas, carbonated drinks, beer, wine, alcoholic drinks like liquor and cocktails are acidic beverages that can set off heartburn even when taken in small quantities. Worse, drinking on an empty stomach will exacerbate the symptoms. To top it all, smoking which is very likely in these circumstances will aggravate the effect.

Muscle relaxants.
The esophageal sphincter is a region of smooth muscle tissue between your stomach and the esophagus that keeps the food and stomach acid from flowing upward. Muscle relaxants and alcohol have the effect of loosening up the lower esophageal sphincter allowing stomach acid to backflow into the esophagus. Mint has been reported to have a similar effect on this muscle and might cause heartburn as swell.

Pregnancy.
Fetal growth pushes internal organs including the stomach upward which gives pregnant women the feeling of fullness. This temporary change can trigger acid reflux in expecting mothers.