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[A191]Acid Reflux In Pregnancy
by Chris Kuhns, Chr
Some Old wives tales say that those pregnant women with indigestion would end up with newborns having a full head of hair. Science has shown this to be inconclusive and pregnant women are agreeing that it's just another annoying aspect of being pregnant.

There several reasons why pregnant women are more likely to get heartburn than others. First off, when you are pregnant, your hormone levels are much different than when you are not pregnant. Hormone increase can affect every aspect of your health including your digestive health.

A Hormone increase can actually cause your lower esophageal sphincter to loosen a bit. This is the part of your esophagus that typically holds your food in your stomach, without letting the acid come back up. So if your esophageal sphincter it loosens or softens, you could suffer from acid reflux.

There are physical changes going on as well as hormonal changes. Many women don't experience indigestion and acid reflux until later in their pregnancy. Your body is changing shape as your body progresses, which is why acid indigestion happens later, and also your stomach area is continuing to expand.

This expansion of the stomach area is one reason you may have indigestion. Expanding the stomach means you will be having more pressure on your esophagus, which can lead to unpleasant symptoms like acid indigestion.

It may seem that you can not avoid heartburn while pregnant, but there are many tips that you should be aware of to combat the symptoms and try to avoid it altogether.

First off, avoid any foods that you feel are causing acid indigestion. There may be foods that are specific to your case, but overall most women are affected by citrus foods, mint, spicy foods, fried foods, and chocolate.

An important thing to do is eat smaller meals more often. Eating smaller meals also helps if you experience constant morning sickness. If you constantly are eating, only never eating too much, you will be less likely to have heartburn or morning sickness.

Eating this way provides your body a way to process foods in a controlled manner and you'll never feel too full.

One effective way to avoid indigestion and acid reflux is to practice proper posture, and this is especially important by how you bend. When you are pregnant, you should always bend down at the knees.

Of course as your stomach grows you will have no other choice, but to bend down at the knees. Even in the early stages of pregnancy, bending at the knees will not put as much pressure on your middle section, which will help you to avoid the discomforts of acid indigestion.

Always choose to fight acid reflux instead of seeing it as something that can't be avoided. You can use these tips to help you get through the rough times. Of course, if your acid reflux is persistent or severe enough you may want to consult your doctor to see if you need further medications or other treatments.


Acid reflux (GERD) can have many causes. The action of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) may be one cause. The esophagus connects to the stomach. There is a muscle ring that goes around the end of the esophagus at the point where it meets the stomach. This is the LES. When we eat or drink the LES allows the food to pass into the stomach and then the muscle ring closes so the food does not reflux. People with acid reflux (GERD) may have abnormalities with their LES. The LES may have a weak contraction so there is a very good chance of reflux. Or, the LES may be too relaxed. The longer the LES is open (relaxed) reflux can easily occur.

Another cause of acid reflux (GERD) is a hiatal hernia. Some people with acid reflux have hiatal hernias and some do not. Hiatal hernias are not a pre-requisite for acid reflux, but a large amount of people with acid reflux DO have hiatal hernias. A hiatal hernia disrupts the location of the LES. The LES should be on a level with the diaphragm but due to the hiatal hernia the LES is pushed up and lies in the chest. This is a problem because the diaphragm is a large part of helping the LES to prevent reflux. Now the pressure of both the LES and diaphragm are not working as a strong unit. The hiatal hernia contributes to the reflux because of the decreased pressure.

Acid reflux can also be caused by a hiatal hernia due to the hernial sac. The location of the sac is near the esophagus. Acid gets trapped in the sac. Because the sac is so close to the esophagus, when the LES relaxes, it is easy to reflux.

The hiatal hernia can lead to acid reflux in a third way. Normally the esophagus connects to the stomach at an angle creating a flap of tissue. The hiatal hernia leads to the flap becoming warped and therefore it is useless to stop reflux.

People with acid reflux have a problem with the contraction of the esophageal muscles when they swallow. This is an issue because the contraction pushes all of the items in the esophagus into the stomach. If there is not a good contraction then the acid does not get pushed back and remains in the esophagus. Smoking disturbs the clearing of the esophagus too. It takes about six hours from the last cigarette you smoke for the effect on the esophagus to wear off.

Acid reflux is most common after meals. It is always better to be vertical so gravity can help the acid move down into the stomach. Large meals are not recommended for people with acid reflux.

There are many different reasons people may have acid reflux. Learning the cause may help in your quest to relieve some of the discomfort of acid reflux.
Article Source : Pg. 20

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Both Chris Kuhns & Michael Russell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Chris Kuhns has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pregnancy Problems, Health. Chris Kuhns is actively seeking out the best Acid Reflux Diet tips to help Acid Reflux sufferers at:. Chris Kuhns's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.

Michael Russell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Celebrities, Dieting and Diabetes Treatment. Michael RussellYour Independent guide to . Michael Russell's top article generates over 2240000 views. to your Favourites.
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