When we eat food as a part of normal digestion the food chewed is passed on via the food pipe or esophagus to the stomach for further digestion aided by the acidic juices present in the stomach. These juices are not supposed to be in the esophagus but in the stomach which is meant to handle these juices for digestion of food.

Now when these acidic juices flows back to the esophagus it causes a burning sensation in the centre of the chest also called heartburn leading to the phenomenon causing acid reflux.

To explain reasons for development of acid reflux further, acid reflux or gastroesophagael reflux disease[GERD] occurs when the gastric juices flows reversely into the esophagus from the stomach .This happens due to the inability of lower esophageal sphincter valve to close properly once the partially digested food from mouth goes to the stomach via the esophagus for further digestion.

The lower esophageal sphincter [LES] is a valve made up of a band of muscles .This valve separates the esophagus from the stomach and closes itself once the food reaches the stomach so as to prevent the reverse flow ogf gastric juices from the stomach to the esophagus and prevents causing acid reflux attack. If this phenomenon occurs occasionally as in everyone causing heartburn it's O.K. However, it becomes a cause of concern if it starts occurring more than occasionally resulting in the Gastric esophageal reflux disease or causing acid reflux attack or GERD. That is when the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes more frequently and irregularly it causes GERD in the form of chronic heartburn.

Future implications of gastricoesophaguael disease;

Cause or Reasons for Acid reflux attack can be varied and is a potentially dangerous health condition if not checked on time. This is because over a period of time the gastric juices flowing into the esophagus starts causing wear n tear or erosion of the esophageal lining and the condition is termed as Erosive Oesophagitis i.e. erosion of the esophageal lining due to the acid reflux attack or gastroesophagael reflux disease. However, it can be diagnosed by only a medical practitioner with the help of upper endoscopy performed on the patient.

That means only a doctor can tell you if you have acid reflux disease and what caused it.