Acid reflux CAN cause headaches.

More Info: According to Dr. Egilius L.H. Spierings MD, a headache expert from the Harvard Medical School, the occurrence of an acid reflux episode can cause pain to make its way starting from the upper gums, then to the teeth, the cheeks and finally to the eyes, where migraines are located .

Headaches and Migraines

A headache is defined as "pain in various parts of the head, not confined to the area of distribution of any nerve ". There are various types of headaches, among them are migraine headaches and migraines without headaches .

A migraine can be either a classic migraine or a common migraine. A classic migraine is also known as a migraine with aura and is characterized by head pain with visual manifestations like scotomas, photophobia and visual scintillations . On the other hand, a common migraine or a migraine without aura is a migraine episode with head pain but without the visual manifestations . Of the migraine episodes experienced by individuals, 80% of these fall under the common migraine category .

According to Dr. Spierings MD, migraines caused by acid reflux episodes can be remedied by addressing your acid reflux problem by taking higher doses of acid reflux medication .

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or Acid Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflux is defined as "a condition in which the acidified liquid contents of the stomach backs up into the esophagus ". Acid reflux is also known as "heartburn" because one of the symptoms of this condition is the burning sensation in the chest or throat when acid backs up from the stomach and into the throat. It is also accompanied by a sour taste as the acid stomach contents settle in the mouth .

The root cause of acid reflux is a combination of two factors, namely the weakening of the sphincter and the uneven pressure between the stomach and esophagus. This results into the escaping of the acidified liquid contents from the stomach, which should ideally be sealed off by the sphincter.

To prevent migraines or headaches caused by acid reflux, the acid reflux disease must be addressed. Apart from medications such as antacids, H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors, lifestyle changes such as weight reduction, quitting smoking and eating only healthy meals must be undertaken.