When it comes to heartburn, the less you trigger it, the less you burn. The tricky thing is, everyone’s triggers may be different. Read through the usual causes of heartburn below, and make a note of which things you know — or suspect — may be your triggers. You may even want to keep a heartburn diary for a while. The goal isn’t to totally eliminate triggers, but to get better at making choices.
Food
Food certainly is a biggie when it comes to triggers of heartburn. Here are the most common foods that cause heartburn. Should we say sorry now?
Chocolate
Garlic
Raw onions
Mints
Vinegar
Fried and fatty foods
Citrus fruits or juices
Spicy foods
Ketchup and mustard
Tomatoes and tomato sauces
Caffeine
Sad but true, caffeine is a very common trigger of heartburn. What you may not realize is that caffeine is found in more than just coffee. Read on.
Coffee
Tea
Energy drinks
Chocolate
Chocolate ice cream
Coffee ice cream
Sodas and colas
Alcohol
Alcohol’s a heartburn trigger alright. Interestingly, red wine has been shown to be a worse trigger than white.
Sleep
Sleep?! Well, it’s not sleeping itself that causes heartburn, it’s the fact that most of us like to do it lying down. And when you lie down, your horizontal position can make it easier for acid to creep up out of your stomach into your esophagus (thanks a lot, gravity).
Eating too close to bedtime can also trigger heartburn, if your body’s still digesting a lot of food when you lie down.
Stress
Unless you’re living in a bubble, you probably experience some stress in your life. While it’s not a direct trigger of heartburn, stress can cause heartburn to feel worse. It can also make you reach for things like cigarettes, alcohol, or greasy comfort food.
Smoking
Big surprise, smoking is not good for your heartburn, either. It relaxes the esophageal sphincter that normally keeps acid from coming up out of your stomach.
Weight
Heartburn flare-ups can increase when you’re overweight. Also, if clothing is too tight around your waist, this can constrict your stomach and trigger heartburn too.
