Too Little Acid

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) forms the entrance to the stomach. Above it is the esophagus which serves only to transport food from the mouth to the LES. Once past the sphincter, acid begins breaking down the food. The muscles of the LES serve to open and close the entry to the acidic region. When food is swallowed, the LES opens. When no food is present in the esophagus, the LES stays closed.

It all starts with a few episodes of heartburn and if left untreated, in no time it escalates to chronic heartburn. For some people, every meal seems to lead to painful heartburn and for others, only certain foods bring the agony. Still others only suffer when they fail to abide by reasonable portion sizes. How strong a treatment is needed is determined by the severity of the heartburn. Enjoying a special dish or meal is something we all look forward to once in a while. When this symptom occurs once in a while, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The closed LES causes a pressure difference between the esophagus and stomach with higher pressure in the esophagus. If the muscles relax too much, the pressure equalizes and acid can enter the esophagus much more easily. A change in position, for instance, can cause a reflux of acid with the resulting heartburn. The pain from acid can make taking acidic vinegar for heartburn seem silly.