Acid reflux is very dangerous, left untreated it can change the tissue of the esophagus and cause Barrett's Syndrome which basically is the precursor to esophageal cancer.

At the bottom of the esophagus is a ring called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. When you lie down at night, the LES can relax and allow stomach contents to flow back into the esophagus and even all the way back into your mouth. The acid which comes up not only damages the tissue along the way but can also cause serious tooth decay.

In addition to normal relaxation of the LES, there are 4 major triggers which make it relax even more:
- chocolate
- mint
- caffeine
- nobody will like this one: alcohol

If you are having trouble with "heartburn"/acid reflux, see your doctor and...focus on stopping the four items listed (2 of them should be easy, the 4th is a battle). If you are having frequent problems with this, see the doctor now.

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