Hot peppers are a way to boost the flavor of your favorite dish without having to add salt or butter. However, eating hot peppers might irritate your stomach, leading to heartburn. When this occurs, acid escapes your stomach and travels into your esophagus, which can lead to damage. If you suffer from frequent heartburn or related disorders, you might have to avoid hot peppers altogether.
Functions of Your Esophagus
When you chew food, it forms an easy-to-swallow wet ball called a bolus, which is the very first step in digestion. Your esophagus is a long narrow tube leading down your neck into your stomach. It is lined with muscles that help push the bolus down into your stomach after you swallow. While eating hot peppers most likely does not damage your esophagus directly, they can cause problems in your stomach that might lead to esophageal damage.
Heartburn
The lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, is right at the base of your esophagus and opens to allow food into the stomach. Eating too fast, consuming spicy foods or having digestive problems might cause the LES to open sporadically or remain open. When this occurs, stomach acid escapes and backs up into your esophagus. You might feel a burning sensation right behind your breastbone, a complication known as heartburn. Spicy and acidic foods are common causes of heartburn, but being overweight or lying down right after a meal might also trigger an episode of heartburn. Over time, frequent episodes of heartburn can lead to permanent damage of your esophagus, requiring medical attention.
GERD
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, more commonly known as GERD, stems from having chronic heartburn, more than twice per week, for an extended period of time. GERD symptoms might appear right after eating hot peppers, or hours later, because the LES muscles are weak and damaged. If hot peppers trigger your GERD symptoms, it can lead to inflammation in your esophagus, causing bleeding ulcers, a condition called esophagitis. Additionally, scar tissue might build up, narrowing your esophagus and making it difficult for you to swallow.
Helpful Information
If you love foods made with hot peppers, but want to avoid heartburn, swap out your super-hot peppers for a more mild type of pepper. Milder varieties of hot peppers include Anaheim chiles, banana peppers, pablano peppers and the Japanese shishito chile. These peppers continue to add spice to your dish and might not aggravate heartburn or GERD symptoms. Go for a walk after eating hot peppers to help move food through your digestive tract. This helps get food out of your stomach so you are less likely to have problems with heartburn.
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