Have you gulped or guzzled water, only to find that it refluxes back up into your throat?

What’s going on here?

“Water, in and of itself, does not cause reflux,” says Akram Alashari, MD, a trauma surgeon at Geisinger Medical Center in PA, and author of “THE POWER OF PEAK STATE.”

He continues, “Rather, reflux is caused by overfilling of the stomach. When someone drinks enough water to expand the stomach, the lower esophageal sphincter will allow the acidic medium of the stomach to reflux back into the esophagus.

“It is when the stomach contents reflux back when the symptoms of heartburn occur.

“So the mechanism of water causing reflux is by dilation of the stomach with secondary reflux.”

akram alashari

Dr. Alashari was formerly with Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in SC as an abdominal and critical care surgeon. 
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.