Smoking
Many health-related conditions are linked to smoking. Aside from the lungs, smoking damages the digestive system. In addition, chewing tobacco and secondhand smoke can trigger acid reflux because the smoke and nicotine relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
Similar to alcohol, smoking contributes to reflux because it lowers LES pressure, weakens protective esophageal functions, and reduces acid clearance, according to medical practitioners. However, a few years back, study results showed that quitting smoking improves reflux conditions.
Doctors say that smoking contributes to the condition because it makes smokers cough. Every time the smoker coughs, it increases the pressure in the belly, which induces reflux in return. The acid reflux condition, which is medically called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, stops when a smoker quits. Studies show the link between smoking and some of GERD’s worst complications, such as throat cancer and Barrett’s esophagus. The latter is a condition where the lining of the esophagus, usually pink, thickens and turns red.
According to doctors, smoking causes reflux by relaxing the LES, reducing saliva production, increasing the stomach’s acid secretion, interfering with esophageal muscles, and damaging the lining of the esophagus.
