Though many people confuse heartburn with heart attack, it has no relation with heart at all. Heartburn is a painful stomach ailment, which results in a severe burning sensation in stomach quite similar to heart attack. It is a stomach irregularity, which causes flow back of stomach acid into esophagus. Research studies and various surveys show that about 20% Americans go through heartburn every week. In fact, heartburn is a disease that affects people or various age groups across the globe. Though there are many other factors that control heartburn, the most common one is diet. In fact, diet is one of the most prominent things, when it comes to stomach ailments. Other triggers include poor eating habits, obesity, and medications. Scientists also believe that heartburn can also be caused by mental stress or depression.

Want to know what’s burning you? Know about common causes of heartburn….

Here are the most common causes of heartburn:

Eating Large Meals

Eating large meals can be perilous for stomach health. Scientific research has shown that stomach does not perform well, when it is suddenly stuffed with a large amount of food. Another thing that causes stomach pain or heartburn is eating very fast. When you eat fast, your teeth cannot chew the food; and ultimately your stomach has to perform double job, i-e, crushing the food and then digesting it. So instead of eating large meals, eat small portions of meals frequently to make sure that your stomach can digest the food properly.

Smoking or Drinking Alcohol

Another cause of heartburn can be drinking alcohol. Moreover, people who smoke are more prone to go through stomach disorders including heartburn. Tobacco smoking can cause several other diseases as well. So replace your tobacco or alcohol cravings by drinking a healthy drink, such as detox drink.

Eating Before Going to Bed

This is perhaps one of the most common causes of stomach disorders. Most people go through stomach irregularities, because they eat right before going to bed, which is one of the worst eating habits. When you sleep, your digestive system becomes slow, which in turn does not let the food digest. So you should eat at least 3 hours before going to bed. In fact, food experts suggest to eat before sunset, because after dusk food does not digest.

Depression or Stress

Scientific studies have shown that anxiety or depression affects a person’s eating habits, which in turn causes stomach diseases. Heartburn is one of those diseases that can be caused by depression or anxiety. So it’s important to check with a mental health professional to get rid of depression.

So if you are suffering from heartburn, make sure to improve your eating habits. You should also consult a medical professional to make sure that it is heartburn, because sometimes it can be heart attack. So be careful about it, and stay healthy!