Sleeping pills, obesity & soda may cause heartburn

Reducing the intake of carbonated soft drinks might help relieve heartburn and help patients sleep more soundly. Researchers from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson surveyed 15,000 U.S. adults on heartburn symptoms. They found that drinking soda, taking benzodiazepine-type sleeping pills, and being overweight were all associated with an increased risk of night time heartburn. Men and women with high blood pressure or asthma were also at greater risk of overnight symptoms. Heartburn refers to the fiery sensation in the chest caused by stomach acids backing up into the oesophagus. Frequent bouts of heartburn may be indicative of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, a disorder in which the muscular valve between the oesophagus and stomach fails to close properly, allowing acids to back up into the throat. GERD can cause corrosive changes in the oesophagus that make swallowing difficult, or that in some cases lead to Barrett's oesophagus, where cells in the oesophageal lining become abnormal. In a small number of people, Barrett's oesophagus precedes the development of oesophageal cancer. It's thought that night time acid reflux, in particular, may be a sign of more severe GERD. It is advised to avoid carbonated beverages particularly with dinner and after dinner. The high acid content in soft drinks is the main problem. On top of that, the carbonation that makes soda bubbly introduces carbon dioxide into the stomach, worsening the situation for the heartburn-prone. Out of the 15,314 men and women surveyed, a quarter said that they had night time heartburn symptoms. Besides soda drinking, other risk factors like the use of benzodiazepines, a class of sedatives commonly used for insomnia was also found to be the cause. These drugs can lower the pressure of the sphincter that opens and closes the passageway from the oesophagus to the stomach. It is therefore recommended that people who suffer from this avoid benzodiazepines. Researchers also found that people with high blood pressure or asthma were at greater risk of heartburn during sleep. High blood pressure itself does not trigger heartburn; instead, it is the high blood pressure medications, or other factors that accompany high blood pressure such as excess weight that cause the problem. Asthma medications can have the side effect of heartburn, but the disease itself may sometimes lead to acid reflux and trigger heartburn by increasing pressure between the chest and abdomen. Higher body mass index (BMI) was also tied to a greater risk of night time heartburn, given the known association between excess pounds and GERD. Thus weight loss is another possible way to prevent night time acid reflux.