"Tobacco in general affects almost all the parts of the digestive system. It does not only cause heartburn but also reflux which are considered two conditions which IBS patients are likely to acquire. And since smoking damages the esophageal sphincter, the acidic contents of the stomach tend to flow upward and down into the lower portion of the esophagus. Nicotine leads to hyper production of acid in the stomach and at the same time decreases the pancreatic production of sodium bicarbonate, which is an important substance in counteracting the production of stomach acid.
Smoking above all is famous for causing cancer either of the colon, the bladder, kidney, pancreas and stomach. Plus long-term smoking also increases the possibility of colorectal cancer. How? Inhaling or swallowing tobacco smoke can bring carcinogens right down to the colon. The tobacco also tends to increase colon polyp size which means that the bigger the polyp the higher the possibility for it to develop into cancer. In fact, studies shows that at least twelve percent of colorectal cancers are the direct result of smoking.
Lastly, smoking is not only a factor that can trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms but poses greater health risks, like cancer, so for your sake better quit smoking."
https://www.healthstatus.com/health_blog/wellness/smoking-and-irritable-bowel-syndrome/
If you wake up at night with acid reflux, please get it checked and brought under control as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more damage will be done. Here are some tips to relieve it.
Three tips on acid reflux.
Raise the head of your bed. I bought a framework to raise mine that cost $200 but you could use simple methods to do it. Originally, I was going to cut plywood circles that would fit inside coffee cans, one for each leg, and then being able to adjust the height by putting sand between the plywood and the bottom of the can. If your bed has mid supports, you would have to raise those also. They also make bed risers.
The second tip is, if you are a side sleeper, try to sleep on your left side. The esophageal sphinter is on the right. Sleeping on your left side puts the valve on the high side and helps prevent reflux.
Third, don't eat within 3 hours of going to bed. Even one bite stimulates acid production.
