The Effect of Smoking on GERD and Acid Reflux

Can smoking cause heartburn, or acid reflux?

From tobacco to cannabis, there are a lot of ways and substances that people smoke. Here’s a rundown of some of the major types and their potential effects on acid reflux.

Doctors have proposed a fewpotential reasonswhy people who smoke report ahigher incidence心痛或者胃酸倒流。

• Smoking reduces lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure. The LES is the protective closure that keeps acid in the stomach and out of your esophagus. When the LES pressure is reduced, the acid can more easily creep up and cause heartburn.
• Smoking tobacco reduces the amount of bicarbonate present in the saliva. Bicarbonate is an acid-neutralizing compound.
• Smoking can increase levels of inflammation in the body. Doctors have connected increased levels of inflammation with greater risks for GERD as well asBarrett’s esophagus, a condition that can lead to esophageal cancer.

There isn’t a lot of research that points to cannabis as a GERD or acid reflux cause. However, someanimal studieshave found that cannabis use has some positive effects in regards to reducing acid reflux, including reduced gastric acid secretion.

Cannabis can also be used to增加食欲and calm the stomach, but this isn’t to say those who smoke or use cannabis have no stomach problems. Some people who smoke cannabis experience an uncommon condition calledcannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which causes severe vomiting.

Because vaping is fairly new, there isn’t as much research on its effects related to GERD.

However, there is asmaller study from Indonesiathat found a positive correlation between vaping and regurgitation, but a negative correlation to GERD.

While there isn’t very much research about waterpipe smoking and GERD,one studyfound that women who smoke a waterpipe were more likely to have GERD. The study’s authors didn’t find a connection between men who smoked a waterpipe and increased GERD risk.

The authors theorized this is because women tend to smoke a waterpipe ingreater numberscompared to men. However, they weren’t able to determine an exact reason why women experienced GERD related to smoking more than men.

Can quitting smoking cause GERD?

There’s a few rumors out on the Internet that quitting smoking can actually make GERD worse instead of better, but as we’ve discussed, this isn’t the case.

One study of 141 former smokers found that 43.9 percent reported less GERD 1 year after quitting. For the control group of smokers who didn’t quit, the acid reflux symptoms didn’t improve over time. The researchers recommended that patients with significant GERD quit smoking as a way to reduce their symptoms.

If the onset of your GERD symptoms has coincided with quitting smoking, it likely has a different cause that you should investigate with your doctor.

How to relieve heartburn

While quitting smoking should help you reduce your acid reflux symptoms, there are other treatments andhome remediesthat can help as well. These include the following tips:

• Avoid foods known to worsen your symptoms, such as alcohol, coffee, chocolate, fatty foods, mint, or spicy foods.
• Take steps to exercise and manage your weight.
• Takemedicationsto reduce your symptoms. These include antacids, H2 blockers (like cimetidine or famotidine), and proton pump inhibitors (like lansoprazole and omeprazole).
• Elevate your head after you eat (or elevating the head of your bed when sleeping). This keeps acid from going upward.
• Stop eating at least 3 hours before you go to bed.

If your GERD persists, talk with your doctor. You may needdifferent treatmentsto reduce your symptoms.

Takeaway

Smoking tobacco likely worsens your acid reflux symptoms and GERD. Keeping this in mind, it’s a good reason to quit. In addition to stopping smoking, making dietary changes and managing weight can also help reduce painful acid reflux symptoms.

Your doctor can help you create a smoking cessation plan and reduce acid reflux symptoms.