Heartburn (cont.)
Medical Author:
John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEPJohn P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. Medical Editor:
Bhupinder Anand, MD
IN THIS ARTICLE
Heartburn CausesThe food that is swallowed travels from the mouth to the stomach through a hollow tube called the esophagus (or food pipe). Before entering the stomach, food must pass through a tight muscle at the lower end of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The lower esophageal sphincter prevents food from traveling backward into the esophagus. Once in the stomach, stomach acid digests the food. This acid is very strong and the stomach is protected from its own acid by a special mucous layer. The esophagus does not have this special protection. If the lower esophageal sphincter does not close completely, the lower part of the esophagus can be damaged by refluxing stomach acid. When this occurs, heartburn may be experienced. The lower esophageal sphincter may not close completely allowing stomach acid into the esophagus for these reasons:
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Gastroesophageal reflux is a normal physiological phenomenon experienced intermittently by most people, particularly after a meal.
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