Stress can worsen acid reflux symptoms, and anxiety is a natural response to stress in the body paradoxically, experiencing anxiety can also in itself be stressful, which can continue the cycle. Can acid reflux get worse with stress. You may know full-well that acid reflux can be caused or triggered by anxiety and stress but just how does this work? “stress may cause increased vagal nerve stimulation in the brain, which may lead to increased acid production in the stomach,” says jonathan zinberg, md, chief of gastroenterology at south nassau communities hospital.
can acid reflux get worse with stress
Stress may not actually increase the production of stomach acid, a common cause of acid reflux, but it does make you more sensitive to smaller amounts of acid in the esophagus this means that your reflux may not actually be getting worse, but it will feel like it is. How to prevent acid reflux and anxiety. without remedying both acid reflux and anxiety, either can provoke the occurrence of each other through a cyclical effect. the many acid reflux symptoms can lead to anxiety which can in-turn fuel acid reflux symptoms. or anxiety can raise the pain of heartburn leading to more anxiousness and so on.. Stress can also affect your hormones and your body's efficiency. thus, many people with anxiety may have a lower esophageal sphincter (the sphincter that controls acid reflux) that works improperly as a result of anxiety. is anxiety heartburn dangerous? heartburn, in general, is not dangerous per se. however, there are some risks. for example.