Irritation, pain and a burning sensation are all part of acid reflux. Those who were unfortunate enough to experience it know all about acid reflux. The causes of acid reflux are many and varied. Luckily, so are the ways to treat it. For advice on treating acid reflux, keep reading.
Fatty foods make it that much worse for people suffering from acid reflux. Foods high in fat relaxes the esophageal sphincter which in turn contributes to the acid flowing in the wrong direction. They also contribute to putting on those pounds, which can worsen your acid reflux. Try to stay as healthy as possible with your diet.
Use a wedge to help relieve night time acid reflux. Other things you can try are books, blocks of wood or anything that can help angle your mattress up. Also, there are beds that allow you to raise and lower the head of your bed.
Some foods are more prone to causing acid reflux than others. Fried foods, caffeinated beverages, chocolate, and alcohol are some common trigger items. Citrus, tomatoes, onions and garlic are other common triggers. The triggers can vary from person to person, meaning that you’ll have to learn from experience which ones cause discomfort and which do not. Stay away from all these foods to avoid acid reflux.
Mucous in the stomach can increase by using a supplement called slippery elm. This supplement is very effective at protecting your stomach from harmful stomach acid. Many people mix a tablespoon or two into some water and drink it after eating or just before bed.
If you are a smoker, consider quitting. When you smoke, nicotine stimulates the production of stomach acid, exacerbating the problem. Avoid quitting cold turkey, as the added stress could actually intensify the problems with reflux. Instead, quitting should be a gradual effort.
Stay in an upright position for at least two hours after eating to help prevent acid reflux. Doing so can cause a build up of stomach acids into the esophagus. You should feel better, and reduce symptoms, by sitting or standing.
Chew a stick of cinnamon gum after meals. As you chew the gum, you will begin to produce more saliva. This will help neutralize acids in your stomach. Also, people swallow much more often when they are chewing gum, and this will clear out any acid that is in the esophagus. Fruity gums can also work. Gums with a mint flavor actually cause your esophagus sphincter to relax, worsening your acid reflux.
Try not to lay down after eating to avoid reflux. When laying in a prone position, it is more difficult to digest your food. If you stay upright, the problems resulting from acid reflux can be avoided.
Be sure to savor your food. Don’t eat too much in one sitting; only eat as much as you want. Always sit down and spend half an hour to have your meal. If you eat too quickly or eat more food than you need, you will experience acid reflux. You can try setting your fork down between bites to slow yourself down.
Try a bit of light exercise; walking is a good choice. This will help you to push back acid into your stomach. For example, the upright position facilitates digestion. Next, it helps with weight loss, which will further reduce acid reflux. Don’t work out too hard or you’ll find your reflux is exacerbated.
While a food that tastes acidic seems like it would cause stomach problems, that isn’t necessarily the case. Lemons and other foods with acid contain a lot of alkaline once they have been digested. This can really confuse you for sure. You must know more about pH when dealing with your acid reflux.
Acid Reflux
Acid reflux is terrible, but it doesn’t need to be permanent. There are definite things you can do to stop yourself from suffering any longer. There are many preventative measures you can take that will help you avoid acid reflux. We hope that this article has provided you with good information that you can put to use right away.