Causes / Risk factors

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), as mentioned earlier, is caused by reflux of hydrochloric acid of the stomach into the esophagus. The lining of the esophagus is not designed to withstand hydrochloric acid and is, therefore, easily affected. It is not known why the LES relaxes more often in people with GERD, than in those without the condition. Some of the factors that contribute to GERD include -

Hiatal Hernia
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Overuse of alcohol
Pregnancy
Obesity
Smoking
Certain foods, like citrus or fried items
Certain medications, like prednisolone
Hypercalcemia
Scleroderma
Systemic sclerosis

Published on Dec 24, 2012
Last Updated on May 29, 2018

Citations

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APA

Dr. Reeja Tharu. (2018, May 29). Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - Causes / Risk factors. Medindia. Retrieved on May 22, 2022 from https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/gerd-causes.htm.
MLA

Dr. Reeja Tharu. "Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - Causes / Risk factors". Medindia. May 22, 2022. <https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/gerd-causes.htm>.
Chicago
Dr. Reeja Tharu. "Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - Causes / Risk factors". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/gerd-causes.htm. (accessed May 22, 2022).
Harvard
Dr. Reeja Tharu. 2021. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - Causes / Risk factors. Medindia, viewed May 22, 2022, https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/gerd-causes.htm.