Heartburn is a problem that 100 million Americans suffer from every year. Most people who suffer from heartburn feel a burning sensation down their throats and chest, chest tightness and excessive burping. The chances of heartburn in woman is said to be lower than the chances of heartburn in men. Let us proceed to the facts.
Although the chances of heartburn is said to be equally high for men and women, there are some underlying differences that can affect the balance. Before we discuss the differences, we should highlight the common causes of heartburn. Heartburn is caused by our dietary habits and the food that we consume. The amount of food we consume in a meal, the time taken to finish a meal, the time we consume our meals and the food we consume are all factors that cause heartburn.
Now, let us compare the dietary habits of men and women to find out their chances of heartburn.
Meal sizes
You will find it hard to find someone who thinks that women consumes more food than men in a meal. Due to the larger meal consumptions, men will stand a higher chance of suffering from acid reflux. The pressure on your stomach will cause acid to back flow into your esophagus.
Beverages that cause heartburn
There are some beverages that relax your esophageal sphincter and cause heartburn. This list includes drinks that contain caffeine and alcoholic drinks. Soft drinks that contain caffeine and alcoholic drinks are slighty more popular with men as compared to with women. A recent research shows that 65% of women have had an alcoholic drink in the last 12 months while 73% of men have also consumed an alcoholic drink in the last 12 months. This puts the risk of heartburn in men a little higher.
Heartburn during pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time when a woman is most vulnerable to heartburn. Due to the extra pressure on the stomach caused by the growing baby, the chances of a pregnant woman experiencing heartburn is much higher than a man. Research shows that there is a 50% chance that a woman will experience heartburn during pregnancy.
As you can see, the chances of heartburn in woman is as high as the chances of heartburn in men. However, women should take extra care of their dietary habits during pregnancy periods.
