Sphincter muscles are found throughout the human body, including sphincters found in the male and female pelvic area. A sphincter muscle is a circular muscle that surrounds another structure in the body, such as the male and female ureters and...
The lower esophageal sphincter is the ring of smooth muscle fibers that separates the esophagus from the stomach. It's basically a barrier to prevent stomach contents from escaping into the food pipe. Whenever you eat or swallow, the lower...
Your esophageal sphincters are muscular rings that surround the top and bottom of your esophagus, or food pipe. In people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, the lower esophageal sphincter fails to close properly, and food and...
The urinary sphincter muscles are located at the base of the pelvic floor. They help control urine flow as well as prevent leaking of urine from the bladder. Sphincter muscles are circular and surround the opening of the urethra where it connects...
Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is closely associated with cholecystectomy, or surgical removal of your gall bladder. According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, surgeons perform more than a half-million...
Many older women suffer with not being able to hold their urine, and some wind up with a prolapsed uterus due to a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. Giving birth is one cause of a loss of muscle strength in this area of the body, but even...
Caffeine may lower pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring-like muscle in the esophagus. The effect relaxes the muscle and worsens symptoms of acid reflux, the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Acid reflux causes the...
A neurogenic bladder is an abnormally functioning bladder, either overactive or underactive, caused by damage to the nerves controlling it. This damage may be caused by trauma to the spinal cord or diseases that affect the nervous system....
An anal fissure is a painful tear in the anal lining, usually caused by constipation. Straining and hard stool, combined with increased anal sphincter tone, cause tearing. The repeated trauma of bowel movements prevent healing, leading to a...
Heartburn and acid reflux are extremely common, with 10 percent of the population experiencing them on a daily basis, according to Pennsylvania-based Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology. Acid reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter is...
GERD, also known as gastroesophageal reflux, refers to a condition where food or bile (liquid made in your liver to help food digestion) backs up from your stomach and into your esophagus (tube that carries food to your stomach), says the Mayo...
Acid reflux (also known as heartburn) is the result of acid from the stomach traveling up into the esophagus. Acid is normally kept out of the esophagus by a ring of smooth muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter. In some cases, however, the...
Stomach acid backup results in heartburn, a painful sensation in the upper chest and throat that may also bring a sour taste to the back of the mouth. The stomach acids rise up because the lower esophageal sphincter, a valve-like muscle in the...
Learn which foods trigger gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, to minimize uncomfortable symptoms. GERD is caused by acidic bile from the stomach flowing backwards up the esophagus, due to a weakened esophageal sphincter. Certain chemicals in...
The beginning of the digestive system consists of the stomach and the esophagus, the long narrow tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Acid reflux disease, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a chronic digestive condition.
GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux more than twice a week. Gastroesophageal reflux is when the lower esophageal sphincter spontaneously opens for periods of time allowing stomach contents and...
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, can cause heartburn while running. Most everyone experiences heartburn from time to time, but with GERD the symptoms occur frequently during the week and can cause significant damage to the esophagus. If...
Heartburn is described as the burning sensation you experience in your chest after eating. It's a result of what's known as acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux, which is the backflow of stomach contents into your esophagus, according to the...
Acid reflux strikes soon after you eat, bringing with it heartburn, pain and an unpleasant taste in your mouth. Acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when the sphincter muscle at the bottom of the esophagus...
Heartburn, or gastroesophageal reflux, occurs when stomach acid flows up the esophagus. As food enters the stomach, the lower esophageal sphincter closes, preventing stomach contents from returning to the esophagus. For some, the lower esophageal...
When food or stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, a burning sensation called heartburn results. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, heartburn has become a common problem with "more than 50 million Americans...
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is characterized by a loss of integrity of the muscular sphincter at the top of the stomach, where the esophagus, or food tube, enters. This weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter allows stomach acid...
Heartburn is a pain -- but not in the heart. The discomfort known as heartburn occurs in the esophagus when digestive juices such as bile are regurgitated through a lax lower esophageal sphincter. A number of foods can increase pressure in the...
Gastric acid is an important part of the body's natural processes to digest food particles into small enough pieces to be absorbed by the body. Unfortunately, this same acid can cause problems, ranging from simple heartburn to more serious chronic...
Burning in the upper chest after eating is a condition called heartburn. Some foods may cause terrible heartburn, while others do not cause any symptoms. The most common food triggers of heartburn include citrus fruits, chocolate, alcohol,...
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, gastric reflux occurs in approximately 10 percent of Americans every day. Symptoms of gastric reflux include heartburn, nausea, cough and regurgitation of food. Raising the head of the bed...
Heartburn is defined as burning pain in the chest just behind the breastbone. Although heartburn can be extremely uncomfortable, it is common and does not usually indicate an underlying medical condition. Due to the high acid content of tomatoes,...
GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, occurs when stomach acid and other stomach contents travel backwards from the stomach into the esophagus. The chronic backwash of stomach contents causes irritation of the esophageal lining, which causes...
Gastroesophageal reflux is a common cause of vomiting in infants and children. It results from the failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to close appropriately. The lower esophageal sphincter prevents stomach acid from passing into the esophagus.
Bhandas are yoga techniques that add to the awakening of energy. Learn how to use bhandas in kundalini energy with this video.
Bhandas are yoga techniques that add to the awakening of energy. Learn how to use Bhandas in this Kundalini energy video.
GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease is a condition in which stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back into your food pipe. The constant backwash or acid reflux can irritate the lining of your esophagus and cause inflammation. Learn about...
Hemorrhoids are swollen, inflamed veins in your anus and rectum which are quite common but also sometimes embarrassing. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments of hemorrhoids in this video.
