People who suffer with acid reflux are no strangers to pain. Sometimes it’s really bad, and it makes it difficult to function. Thankfully, you can implement strategies for reducing your acid reflux symptoms. Reading the following tips could help.
Eat dinner a minimum of three hours before bedtime. When you’re upright, gravity causes both your stomach acid and food to be pulled downward into your stomach. When laying down, the acid may climb back up. So, you should allow a few hours to pass prior to going to sleep.
Pregnant women sometimes suffer from acid reflux. The space taken up by the baby pushes the stomach and acid upward. If you want to improve your situation, stay away from fatty or acidic foods. If this doesn’t help, there are teas which can soothe the esophagus and neutralize stomach acids without hurting the baby.
Acid Reflux
Watch what you eat. Everyone who suffers from acid reflux has some kind of trigger foods that tend to bring it on. You can still eat small quantities of the foods that trigger acid reflux but you need to be very careful.
When you have acid reflux, you can benefit greatly from raising the top of your bed up. You can lift up the bed by using bricks, wood or raisers specifically made for raising a bed. The head should be at least six inches higher. If you elevate your head and chest, you could stop the rise of stomach acid while you sleep.
Do not wear clothes that are too tight. This means beware of tight belts, waistbands and pantyhose. These kinds of garments put pressure on your digestive area that you don’t need or want. This can worsen your reflux symptoms. Try wearing comfortable clothes that let the stomach breathe.
Consume more water if you want to help your acid reflux symptoms. Increase your water intake. Water keeps your body from becoming dehydrated, from the inside out. It can also help your food digest in a better way. Using water to help digest food can decrease acid production in your stomach.
Try losing weight. Extra weight, especially around the middle, can increase acid reflux symptoms. This fat puts pressure on your stomach, and increases your chances of refluxing. Just losing a little weight can have a big impact.
Slippery Elm
Slippery elm lozenges can offer some relief. Slippery elm helps coat your digestive tract. They also help to calm coughing and soothe irritation. They can be found at most health food and natural remedy outlets.
Steer clear of excessive drinking if you are plagued by acid reflux. Alcohol greatly increases stomach acid production. If you need to drink alcohol on occasion, limit yourself to only a couple of glasses at the most; however, you really should aim to consume alcohol-free beverages when you can.
You should not eat foods rich in fat. Don’t eat foods that are fried or from fast-food restaurants. Check food labels to see how much fat the items have.
You really need to incorporate some moderate exercise into your life if you suffer from acid reflux. A low-impact fitness routine, such as one with walking and aerobics, is highly effective. The body is upright and gravity will aid digestion while also keeping the food in the stomach right where it should be.
Don’t self diagnose! Instead, schedule an appointment to see your physician. There are many health conditions that mimic acid reflux. To determine whether it’s reflux or not, your doctor can do some medical testing.
Try to eat the last meal no more than three hours prior to going to sleep. If your bedtime is at 11 p.m., you would avoid eating after 8 p.m. Why you may ask? Because when you lie down completely with a stomach filled with food, it places pressure on the LES muscle. If it isn’t, your symptoms of acid reflux may flare up.
Foods that include tomato, such as pizza or spaghetti, are not a good option if you are dealing with acid reflux. If you want to eat sauces made with tomatoes, put some sugar into your sauce to reduce acid. This may make the sauce a little sweet, but it will be easier to eat.
Regular Exercise
Exercise every day. Regular exercise can really help to reduce your acid reflux symptoms. When you engage in regular exercise, your body operates properly. This also applies to your digestive system. If you find you are feeling queasy after exercise, you may be exercising a little too hard.
Reduce the anxiety that you experience during the day if you suffer from acid reflux. Although stress itself doesn’t directly contribute to acid reflux, it could cause you to participate in harmful activities, such as smoking, drinking, and overeating, which worsen acid reflux symptoms. If you can decrease stress, you will probably improve acid reflux indirectly because you won’t be as likely to participate in these harmful activities.
Acid reflux does not have to rule your life every day. By following the tips listed above, you can get back to your normal, pain-free life. Take control of your life again.