Do you know someone that does or do you yourself have acid reflux? Those that do know how uncomfortable the disorder can be. Feeling a burning sensation inside of the body is not fun. Luckily, there are things that you can do to help alleviate your symptoms.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help cure your GERD symptoms. The sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus becomes relaxed when the weight of extra fat presses down on your stomach. By losing weight and trimming your midsection, your sphincter will tighten up as well, which will help to prevent acid reflux.
To help get a good night’s rest, place a wedge or some object under the mattress. This will prop up your head and allow the acid to stay in the right place. If you do not have a wedge, anything that will lift the head of your bed will work. You may also find beds that are electronically controlled.
Slippery Elm
The herbal supplement slippery elm is effective in fighting effects of acid reflux on your stomach lining. This supplement is very effective at protecting your stomach from harmful stomach acid. To obtain the maximum relief, many people mix one or two tablespoons of slippery elm into their glass of water right before bed.
Be sure to watch what kind of foods you ate before you noticed the reflux symptoms. People who have acid reflux have triggers that make things worse. Once you have identified your trigger foods, you’re able to watch out for them.
While eating, remain in an upright position, and remain this way for three hours afterwards. By lying down, acid can rise due to the fact that gravity is working against it. You can find relief by remaining in a standing or seated position.
A good way to avoid acid reflux is by chewing cinnamon gum after meals. Chewing increases saliva production inside your mouth. The benefit of saliva is that the stomach’s acid can be neutralized. Chewing gum also causes a person to swallow more often, which cleans the throat of acids that come up from the stomach. Fruit-flavored gum will accomplish this too. You should not chew on mint gum because mint causes your esophageal sphincter to relax, worsening your acid reflux.
Avoid overly restrictive clothing. Tight fitting pants, belts and pantyhose can really make you feel worse. Wearing clothes that are too tight can put a lot of pressure on your abdomen. This can worsen your reflux symptoms. Don’t wear clothing that has a tight waistband.
If acid reflux is something that bothers you, try doing most of your drinking between meals. If the stomach is full, the sphincter of the lower esophagus will be under excessive pressure. When you esophageal sphincter is compressed, your food and stomach acid can go into your esophagus.
Did you know that the alkaline or acid-forming tendency of a food really has nothing to do with the relative pH level of the food? Some seemingly acidic foods (e.g. lemons) may be quite alkaline when digested. For those who have acid reflux, this can cause some confusion. Understand how pH changes in the body.
If you suffer from acid reflux, try chewing cinnamon gum when you are finished with a meal. Chewing increases saliva, which in turn starts neutralizing stomach acid. This also will help you to swallow more often than normal. The acid will then settle back down toward your stomach.
If you are expecting and you have acid reflux, try to figure out what the trigger is. It could be something silly like drinking some water after a certain time. When you know what’s causing the problem, you can control it.
Spicy Foods
Make sure you limit the amount of spicy foods you consume, especially during the last half of the day. Spicy foods includes jalepenos, peppers and Mexican foods. Eating spicy foods causes your acid reflux to flare up.
You will now be ready when you or a friend has an acid reflux attack. In the past, you simply suffered in the dark; however, those days are over now. Thanks to this article, you know what to do! Now that you have all of this information, you can get rid of acid reflux for good.