Most people enjoy eating good food, but acid reflux can make that very difficult. The piece that follows can help you prevent acid reflux from becoming a major problem. Take it, learn from it, and you can start living the life you always wanted.
To alleviate the agony of acid reflux, try to eliminate all spicy food items from your daily diet, such as hot sauces and peppers. These kinds of food cause excess acid in your stomach, worsening your condition. Avoid these items and you will feel better right away.
Acid Reflux
If you smoke and have acid reflux, you may wish to quit. Your stomach acid is increased by nicotine and this will make acid reflux worse. You don’t necessarily have to go cold turkey to quit; that may actually worsen your acid reflux. Attempt to quit gradually.
You should not only be upright when eating, but you should stay that way for a few hours. This allows gravity to assist in keeping the acid in your stomach where it belongs. When you stand or sit, you’ll feel better.
If you have acid reflux, you can cause yourself big problems if you exercise right after eating. If you contract your abs during your workout, stomach acid could be forced in your esophagus and cause pain. You should wait a minimum of an hour or two after eating before engaging in exercise activities.
You should stay away from alcohol if you suffer from acid reflux. Alcohol not only causes acid to build up within your stomach, but can deteriorate your stomach lining, which can lead to acid reflux. Try to limit your alcohol when you go out with friends so you don’t suffer from reflux all night.
Learn how to combat stress. Stress can produce more acid, which will come up through your stomach and cause acid reflux. Seek out a cure for what’s causing you to feel anxious and get it out of your life as soon as possible.
If you are an expectant mother, your unborn baby may be causing your reflux by applying pressure to your stomach. If this might be your case, consult a physician for appropriate remedies, in particular for later trimesters.
Avoid overindulging in alcohol if you have frequent acid reflux. Alcohol can cause acid reflux to worsen. Be sure to limit alcohol consumption to two or fewer drinks per day. Choose your drink with care to avoid acid reflux.
Stay calm. Eating when you are stressed out causes excessive heartburn and stomach acid. When the meal is done, try some relaxation exercises such as deep breathing or meditation. Do not lie down following a meal, but keep yourself upright.
Chewing a stick of cinnamon gum after your meals may help with acid reflux. Whenever you chew gum, this causes the salivary gland to produce more saliva which can help to neutralize the acid which is in the stomach. You will also swallow more saliva and keep the acid down. This helps push the stomach acid back into the stomach where it belongs.
Gluten prompts acid reflux, so it is considered a trigger food for a lot of people. To see if gluten is triggering your acid reflux, avoid foods containing wheat, oats and barley. Millet and quinoa are great grains that can actually help your digestion.
Try to slow down when you eat, and place your fork on your plate after every bite. Give yourself the opportunity to really enjoy the aroma and taste of the foods you eat. Stop eating when you are satisfied rather than when you feel stuffed.
Spicy Foods
Eliminate hot and spicy foods from your diet late in the evening. Jalapenos, other peppers, chili and Mexican food are good examples of these. When you eat spicy food, acid reflux may result. Additionally, some believe that spicy foods cause problems such as dry skin, indigestion and a general malaise.
Don’t eat a huge meal right before turning in for the night. It is a good idea to avoid foods for about three hours before you hit the sack. You could wake up with heartburn if you do this.
The position you sleep in may be a problem if you get heartburn during the night. If you lay on the right side of your body, then you need to switch to the left side. If you choose this course of action, stomach acids stay in their rightful location.
Add exercise into your daily routine. There are many good benefits of exercising and decreased acid reflux symptoms are one of them. It keeps your whole body healthy, including your digestive organs. When you exercise too hard, you may increase your symptoms, so stay at a moderate level.
Pinpoint the foods that cause you the most pain. You can find a lot of foods on acid reflux “trigger” lists, but keep in mind that each physical body is unique. What causes you the most pain may be fine for others to ingest, so keep track of what you eat and how you react to it.
You may feel a tremendous urge to lie down after a good meal; resist it. This causes the food to rest in the stomach and possibly go up the esophagus, leading to acid reflux. Try to move around and keep yourself upright so you can digest food well.
If you’re in the throws of acid reflux disease, it’s almost impossible to enjoy meals. Keep acid reflux at bay with the advice in this article. Good food is a great part of life, and you should not be deprived of this pleasure.