How Stress Can Trigger GERD

Almost everyone must contend with stress on a regular basis, but how it’s handled can have a huge impact on health. Some people cope with stress by engaging in poor eating habits like seeking rich, fatty, and unhealthy “comfort foods.” Others drink excessive alcohol to try and forget their stressors. However, both of these activities can be very damaging to the organs and the body overall, and can also wreak havoc on the stomach. Tight, stressed nerves from stress-related tension combined with poor ingestion choices can push food back up into the esophagus from the stomach, causing acid reflux. Also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, acid reflux can be seriously debilitating and lead to many other health problems if left unaddressed. Many conventional treatments include prescription and over-the-counter medications, which not only have their own risks and side effects, but do not address the underlying cause and may even make the problem worse. Read more…