Acid reflux suffering is not up for debate. Truth be known though, knowledge can only help you improve how much you suffer from this condition. Read on to find out more.
Instead of drinking with your food, drink between meals. It’s more likely that you are thirsty rather than hungry, and this will settle your hunger pangs. When you drink throughout the day, your stomach won’t get as upset when you do eat and acid won’t come back into the esophagus.
Spicy Foods
Avoid consuming spicy foods like peppers and hot sauces. Spicy foods can cause your stomach to produce more acid. If you are able to avoid these foods, you may also be able to avoid the reflux symptoms.
Try to reduce stress at all costs to reduce acid reflux. When stress rears its head, acid production increases, causing reflux. To combat this tendency, you should make every attempt to relax, before, during and after every meal. Effective relaxation techniques include reading, watching television, listening to soothing music or meditating quietly.
Stay on your feet for about two hours after consuming food. Your esophagus relaxes when you are lying down allowing stomach acids to rise. Your esophagus can feel better by standing up or sitting up.
Heart Attack
Reflux can sometimes be extremely painful. Occasionally, it may feel like a heart attack. If you are suffering from serious chest pain, don’t ignore it. There is a chance that a heart attack is occurring. You should consider going to the ER or calling your doctor for advice. A misdiagnosis could lead to serious issues.
Don’t wear tight clothing. Pantyhose, waistbands and tight belts are usual suspects. There will be added pressure on the stomach if you wear tight clothes. This pressure can make your acid reflux worse. Wear loose clothes and relax.
If you experience issues after working out vigorously, there might be a simple solution. Be sure to drink plenty of water. You need water to stay hydrated. The water will also aid in digestion. Acid production will decrease if you drink water while you are eating.
Alcoholic beverages can make acid reflux worse. Alcohol not only causes acid to build up within your stomach, but can deteriorate your stomach lining, which can lead to acid reflux. Therefore, when going out, use moderation when drinking alcohol.
Don’t lay down right after you eat. When you lie down, your body will not digest the food you’ve just eaten correctly. Keeping yourself upright can help you keep the acid out of your esophagus.
Eat smaller meals, several times a day. When you eat larger meals it can trigger your acid reflux to act up. An overly full stomach puts too much pressure on the muscle that closes the stomach. This helps the acid in your stomach get into your esophagus. Therefore, it is important to eat little meals instead of big ones.
It is time to lose weight. A few additional pounds could put too much pressure on your stomach and cause acid reflux. Having extra fat can put too much pressure on your mid-section and increase the odds of experiencing reflux. Even losing a few pounds may create major relief.
Avoid trigger foods. Some specific foods have been linked to reflux, such as fatty and fried foods, alcohol, caffeine, mint or min-flavored items, citrus, tomatoes, spicy foods, garlic, onions, and carbonated drinks. Not everyone has the same triggers; therefore, if any of these mentioned foods do not bother you, it’s okay to eat them in moderation.
One easy way to combat the symptoms of acid reflux is by chewing gum, especially after meals. Gum chewing stimulates the salivary glands, which helps to clean the esophagus and balance out the acids in the stomach. In addition, people swallow more when they chew gum. This can get the acid in the right place, so that it does not cause inflammation.
Be sure and finish your last meal at least 3 hours before you go to sleep. This is crucial since the stomach doesn’t process food that great when you’re sleeping as opposed to when you’re awake. When you wake up, you’ll have a bad case of heartburn.
Eat more slowly and take pauses between bites. This is a great way to reduce your symptoms. Savor each bite, as it will help with digestion. Don’t stuff yourself. Stop eating before you become too full.
Acid Reflux
If you suffer from acid reflux and you smoke, you should stop smoking. Quitting smoking will not only benefit your health, but it will also alleviate your acid reflux. Smoking causes the acids in your stomach to increase while slowing digestive processes. Smoking can also decrease saliva production and that will slow down digestion. If you are a smoker, wait a couple afters after you eat to smoke.
Those dealing with issues related to acid reflux are well aware of the discomfort involved. However, if you educate yourself on the topic and on what you can do about it, you can better manage your condition. This article has all the tips you need to get started.