What are the local causes of acid reflux?
Gastro esophageal reflux disease happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (the name for the circle of muscle that is the valve between the stomach and the esophagus) does not shut correctly and lets stomach juices be thrown back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. When the esophagus lining is impacted by these juices, this produces the burning sensation in the chest and/or the throat, which is called heartburn. Although it seems strange, heartburn may also be symptomatic of too little stomach acid. The level of stomach acid has to be enough for digestion to be effective, and prevent the stomach from being obliged to work much harder for the food to be digested. In time, the extra effort of the stomach can lead to acid reflux happening. As well as the immediate factors leading to gastro esophageal reflux disease, there are also genetic factors (beyond our control) and several other internal factors and cofactors, that make for a context encouraging GERD. A long-term solution can only
