Nobody is immune to acid reflux. Acid reflux is present in about a third of all Americans. It’s odd that more people don’t know how to treat this since it’s so common nowadays. The following article has information that can help.
Eat your last meal of the day many hours before you go to bed. In a seated position, food and secreted stomach acid is forced downward to your stomach. When you lay down, the acid can rise back up. You give the food in your stomach a chance to digest if you stop eating well before bed.
Stop smoking now. Smoking worsens acid reflux disease. Smoking reduces the production of saliva and slows down digestion, causing stomach acids to increase. It weakens the sphincter of the esophagus too. Therefore, quitting the cigarettes must be a priority.
Sometimes, pregnant women develop acid reflux during gestation. As the belly gets crowded by the baby, the acid could be pushed into the esophagus. Stick to foods that are low in fat and acid in order to keep the symptoms from popping up. You could also enjoy gentle herb teas that will help reduce acid but will not harm your baby.
Certain foods are known to trigger your acid reflux symptoms. You must limit the amounts of these foods you eat to help prevent this condition. Try avoiding spicy foods, tomatoes, carbonated beverages, alcohol, caffeine, milk, acidic fruits juices, and greasy fast food.
Acid Reflux
People with acid reflux should not lie down after eating a great deal of food. When you lie down, your body will not digest the food you’ve just eaten correctly. By sitting upright, you can avoid experiencing any acid reflux symptoms.
Be sure to savor your food. Rather than clearing your plate, eat slowly until you are just about satiated. Chew your food very slowly, allowing yourself to thoroughly enjoy its taste. Eating too fast can cause you to overeat, which will worsen your acid reflux. Put your fork down every time you take a bite to really slow your eating down.
Taking part in regular exercise like bicycling or walking can help acid reflux. Doing this can really help to ease your acid reflux in a few different ways. For one thing, staying upright allows you to take advantage of the gravity when it comes to digestion. Additionally, exercise helps you lose weight and stay healthy, thus keeping acid reflux at bay. Although moderate exercise is important, you should not do intense exercise because this can actually worsem, not improve, acid reflux.
Eat smaller, but more frequent meals. You are more likely to suffer from acid reflux when you have only one or two big meals each day. A stomach that is too full puts pressure on the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus, causing it to open in order to relieve itself. This helps the acid in your stomach get into your esophagus. Instead, consume smaller meals through the day.
Consider consuming slipper elm lozenges. These lozenges are made from slippery elm bark and will form a protective layer in your digestive tract. It can also help relieve any coughing reflux may cause. Health food stores are the best place to find this product.
Avoid all the foods that may be causing your acid reflux. Certain foods are most likely to cause acid reflux. These include high-fat foods, caffeine, citrus, spicy foods, tomatoes, garlic, carbonated beverages, mints, and alcohol. You need to eliminate such things from your diet and identify your own triggers since everyone reacts differently to foods.
Try to relax. Avoid eating when you are under stress as this will surely lead to heartburn. When you are finished with your meal, do some relaxation exercises, like meditation or deep breathing. Never lay down or recline immediately after a meal.
Slim down if you are overweight. Acid reflux can be exacerbated by too much weight. By applying excessive pressure to your abdominal area, it makes you more prone to heartburn. Therefore, lose some weight, even just a few pounds, in order to relieve your acid reflux.
Eliminate hot and spicy foods from your diet late in the evening. These include jalapenos, peppers, and many Mexican dishes. These products cause acid reflux to flare up, dry your skin out and even lead to indigestion.
Don’t eat big meals before going to sleep. Try avoiding foods around three hours prior to slumber. The extra acids that are caused by the food breaking down may cause heartburn if you lie down on a full tummy.
Incorporate some level of physical activity into your life. Exercise provides your body with numerous benefits. A reduction in acid reflux symptoms is one great benefit. 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.
Reduce the caffeine that you consume on a daily basis. Caffeinated beverages, including coffee, black tea, and soft drinks, fill your stomach with too much acid. In addition, they damage your stomach lining, causing further pain. Herbal teas like green tea are an excellent alternative.
Acid production increases when you eat processed food products. To fight this off, eat apples, or any organic produce. Take a probiotic supplement if you have a hard time balancing the bacteria in your digestive track.
Do not take a nap or lie down when you finish a meal. This causes the food to rest in the stomach and possibly go up the esophagus, leading to acid reflux. You should move around slowly, or sit upright and relax to allow digestion to occur properly.
Some types of acidic foods or drinks can cause acid reflux. Cut back on spicy foods, tomatoes, alcohol and coffee, for example. Eat these foods in very small quantities and adopt a healthier diet to reduce your acid reflux.
As previously mentioned, millions of Americans have acid reflux. If you are one of these people, then you should not sit idle and allow acid reflux to ruin your life. Instead, take action to rid yourself of this condition. Just follow the tips presented here to reduce or eliminate your acid reflux symptoms.