| If you smoke, or use any form of tobacco, | | | | lead to poor digestion due to the fact that |
| improving your posture while you eat isn't | | | | it takes a longer for the stomach to empty. |
| going to do much for your condition. Why? | | | | |
| Smoking/nicotine is a direct contributing | | | | As you can see, there are plenty of reasons |
| factor to acid reflux and to chronic | | | | why smoking can cause and make acid reflux |
| heartburn caused by gastroesophageal refulx | | | | worse. That being said, it shouldn't come as |
| disorder (GERD). Therefore, engaging in any | | | | a surprise to you that the best treatment a |
| tobacco use - cigarettes, cigars, pipes, | | | | tobacco user can do to help their condition |
| snuff and chewing tobacco - can not only | | | | is quit. |
| become a literal pain in the chest, for GERD | | | | |
| sufferers it can even disrupt sleep and | | | | Of course, quitting smoking isn't as easy as |
| interfere with your lifestyle. | | | | we think or would like it to be. An addiction |
| | | | to nicotine is a hard habit to kick, |
| The following are six ways in which smoking | | | | especially if you've been smoking for many |
| directly affects acid reflux: | | | | years, hang around others who smoke, and |
| | | | enjoy it. However, smoking, like any |
| 1.Decrease in saliva production - Cigarette | | | | addiction, can be overcome. The only trick |
| smoking inhibits saliva production, and eats | | | | is, in order to quit smoking, you have to |
| up most of the bicarbonates within the saliva | | | | want to. |
| produce. Bicarbonates help neutralize stomach | | | | |
| acid, and saliva works to coat the oesophagus | | | | There are many different quitting strategies |
| to lessen the effects of acid that refluxes | | | | you can consider. Therefore, if you find |
| up from the stomach. Saliva also helps to | | | | quitting through your own methods is |
| wash acid in the oesophagus back to the | | | | difficult, consult your doctor for other |
| stomach. | | | | options. Also, many people who want to quit |
| | | | smoking find support groups to be very |
| 2.Increase in acidity - Nicotine encourages | | | | helpful. |
| the production of stomach acid. | | | | |
| | | | Does quitting smoking really help your |
| 3.Bile salt movement - Smoking appears to | | | | heartburn? |
| encourage the movement of bile salts to the | | | | |
| stomach from the intestines. Stomach acids | | | | It is believed by many medical practitioners |
| are even more harmful when bile salts are | | | | that for most acid reflux sufferers, quitting |
| present. | | | | smoking will likely allow them to get better |
| | | | fast. However, some practitioners believe |
| 4.Direct injury to the oesophagus - Smoking | | | | that quitting smoking will only provide |
| can cause direct harm to the oesophagus by | | | | modest relief. |
| making it vulnerable to acid reflux injury. | | | | |
| | | | Nevertheless, all medical practitioners agree |
| 5.Impair LES functioning - Nicotine can lower | | | | that quitting smoking is a good idea |
| the pressure in the lower esophageal (LES) | | | | regardless if it helps your acid reflux or |
| which can cause it to become weak and | | | | not. After all, even if you see little change |
| relaxed. LES is the valve that resides | | | | in your experiences with heartburn, quitting |
| between the oesophagus and the stomach. The | | | | smoking greatly reduces your chances of |
| decrease in pressure can cause the LES to | | | | developing serious diseases such as cancer, |
| relax inappropriately, allowing stomach acids | | | | heart and lung disease. |
| and enzymes to be thrust back into the | | | | |
| oesophagus. | | | | In addition, don't forget that smoking isn't |
| | | | the only cause of acid reflux. Thus, if you |
| 6.Decreased gastric motility - It has been | | | | are not seeing improvement after quitting, |
| discovered in studies that people who smoke | | | | it's time for you to take a careful look at |
| have reduced gastric motility while they are | | | | your diet. |
| smoking. A decrease in gastric movement can | | | | |