Reflux Zone

Does Stress Cause Acid Reflux?

Is acid reflux caused by stress? The answer is simple:

Maybe. Maybe not.

It greatly depends on each individual's definition of stress.

The stock exchange broker who trades with other people's money all day long may feel an incredible amount of pressure. After all, his actions might either make or break a portfolio. He has acid reflux and one might assume it is stress related.

Then, there's the stay at home mom. Her daughter is an absolute angel and never causes any trouble. And the mom has no duties outside the home. Yet, she, with the "easy" life has been diagnosed with acid reflux. How could that be stress?

Well, what we do not know about that stay at home mom is the long hours she works to keep her family's home running smoothly, the bills she has to juggle each month in order to remain at home and the knowledge that everything she does will affect the way her daughter grows up and the choices she will someday have to make. That could be pretty stressful, too.

So, everybody has stress. Does stress CAUSE acid reflux disease? It is safe to say that stress definitely is a contributing factor in acid reflux.

If you have acid reflux and are wondering if stress is making your symptoms worse, try this experiment. You know the situations that stress you. Experiment with your acid reflux symptoms by removing those situations one at a time… as much as possible. For instance, if Tuesday is a day you always seem to have worse symptoms, stop and think about Tuesday. Is Tuesday a weekly deadline for something? If so, find a way to spread that work out a little more (as best as possible) so Tuesday won't seem so overwhelming. Maybe your Tuesday stress will lighten a little, and your Tuesday reflux will go away. This experiment becomes tough if certain people are your cause for stress. You can't just ignore your boss or spouse, but see if there is some other way you can deal with him or her to take a little of the stress associated with your boss away.

Realizing what causes your stress is half the battle of treating your acid reflux disease. The other half is taking care of yourself how the doctor prescribes. If that is to take medication - take it. If you must tilt the head of your bed, tilt it. Do whatever is necessary to relieve your acid reflux symptoms.