Common heartburn triggers: Exercise, medicines and large meals

Despite its name, " heartburn" has nothing to do with your heart being on fire. Rather, it is a burning feeling in the middle of your chest, right behind your breastbone.

The burning sensation is due to a problem with a ring of muscle that is located between your stomach and food pipe (oesophagus). This muscular ring, called the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS), is a valve that opens to let food pass into your stomach and then closes to make sure everything stays there. If it is too weak or too relaxed, food and stomach juices can move back up towards your throat, leaving you with a bitter or sour acid reflux taste - often an unpleasant reminder of your last meal. Acid reflux or gastro-oesophageal reflux, is the medical term for heartburn. Reflux means to flow backwards.

You have probably had heartburn at some point in your life. Nearly everyone has. According to the NHS around one in five people experience at least one episode of heartburn a week.

The specific triggers for heartburn differ from person to person. Certain foods may always spell trouble for you, while they have no effect on your spouse or other members of your family.

What can lead to heartburn may surprise you. It is not just about the food you eat. How and when you exercise and what you take to relieve your aches and pains may also cause that burning feeling. The key to controlling your heartburn is to understand what triggers your own personal symptoms.

Heartburn triggers - large meals and fatty foods

A big greasy burger and a large portion of chips just before bedtime is a good way to bring on heartburn. Fatty foods, large portions and late-night meals are the top three triggers that affect most people who have heartburn.

Heartburn is most common after eating a large meal. A stomach full of too much food stretches the stomach, causing you to feel "stuffed”. Stomach stretching, or distention, puts pressure on the LOS, the ring of muscle that keeps stomach acids from moving in the wrong direction. Too much pressure causes the muscle to relax. So juices from your last meal may come back to haunt you. This can happen if you eat large amounts of any food, not just foods known to trigger your heartburn symptoms.

Heartburn triggers - heartburn and diet

A number of foods and drinks can irritate the oesophagus and cause the LOS to relax. Food and drinks that commonly trigger heartburn include:

•  Alcohol, particularly red wine
•  Black pepper, garlic, raw onions and other spicy foods
•  Chocolate
•  Citrus fruits and products, such as oranges and orange juice
•  Coffee and caffeinated drinks including tea and cola
•  Peppermint
•  Tomatoes

To prevent heartburn after meals:

•  Do not overeat. Eat five or six small meals each day, instead of several large meals.

Do not eat before bedtime. Allow at least three hours to digest your food before lying down. Lying down makes digestion difficult and heartburn more likely.