Those who have acid reflux suffer from severe discomfort and pain. Many things can be done to make it easier to live with acid reflux. The article that follows below is meant to serve as a valuable tool for managing this most frustrating illness.
Cut spicy foods out of your life if you want to help your acid reflux. These ingredients stimulate acid production, which cause your problem to become more pronounced. Avoiding these items can get you welcome relief.
Acid Reflux
Our acid reflux can be triggered by specific foods. These foods include alcohol, caffeine, fried foods and chocolate. You should also avoid spicy foods as much as possible. Acid reflux triggers and symptoms vary with each individual, so you must be vigilant in keeping track of your triggers. Avoid all these if you want to be on the safe side.
Cinnamon gum is a good dessert to get accustomed to. Saliva production is increased when you chew. This will help neutralize acids in your stomach. Since you swallow more when you chew gum, this will also wash down any acid remaining in your throat. Fruity gums can also work. Mint gums can exacerbate the problem.
Try raising your bed’s head. Risers, blocks, and bricks are all effective for this purpose. Try to adjust the head of your bed at least six inches. By raising your chest and head, it helps prevent stomach acid from rising into your esophagus while you’re asleep.
If you are active and experiencing acid reflux, you may just need to make one simple change. The solution is drinking more water. Water helps keep you hydrated. Additionally, it will assist with digestion. Using water to help digest food can decrease acid production in your stomach.
Lose weight to help prevent and lessen the effects of acid reflux. Acid reflux is very common among obese and overweight people. Losing even one-tenth of body weight can reduce acid reflux. Don’t be silly with excessive dieting schemes, instead reduce the size of your meal portions.
One of the major causes of heart burn is alcohol. It should be avoided. Alcohol causes overproduction of stomach acid, which leads to the deterioration of your stomach lining as well as acid reflux. Do not drink too much while out with friends if you don’t want a lot of discomfort later that night.
Consume small meals, and do so frequently. Eating just a couple large meals makes it more likely that you will suffer from acid reflux symptoms. Full stomachs cause pressure to be placed on the esophageal sphincter, which then opens as a means of gaining relief. This helps the acid in your stomach get into your esophagus. Rather than eating a few large meals, eat smaller meals more often.
Drink water between meals and drink sparingly during meals. Having too much liquid in your stomach causes pressure on your lower esophageal sphincter, making your acid reflux worse. This can cause acid and food in the stomach to raise back into the esophagus and destroy its lining.
When pregnant, the baby’s weight can actually cause acid reflux. If this is your case, meet with your doctor to find out what you can do about this situation.
Opt for a slipper elm lozenge. These lozenges are made from slippery elm bark and will form a protective layer in your digestive tract. When it is in lozenges, it relieves the coughing that comes with acid reflux and it soothes throat irritation. You can find them at any health food stores and natural food stores near you.
You don’t want to consume a lot of alcohol if you are a sufferer of acid reflux. Alcohol plays a major role in the production of excess stomach acid. If you have to drink, stick to one glass a day.
Stomach Acids
Chewing a stick of cinnamon gum after your meals may help with acid reflux. When gum is chewed, the salivary glands begin working overtime, and this neutralizes stomach acids. You also swallow more often when chewing. This works to return stomach acids to the proper place.
Avoid drinking with your meals. Liquid consumed with your meal with increase the volume of your stomach’s contents. This can increase the symptoms of acid reflux. Don’t drink with meals.
Reduce the amount of spicy food in your diet, especially in the evenings. These include Mexican foods, jalapenos and peppers. Spicy foods will cause your stomach to produce more acid and can be hard to digest.
There is no doubt that acid reflux has the power to interfere significantly with the lives of sufferers. Getting good information and strategies can help you cope with acid reflux. Keep the above tips handy to take control of your condition for good.