Acid reflux can be described as an intense, burning pain. Those who have acid reflux, or once had it, realize just how terrible it is. There are many common culprits of reflux, just as there are many treatments available. Keep reading for useful tips on halting acid reflux.
To help get a good night’s rest, place a wedge or some object under the mattress. This will prop up your head and allow the acid to stay in the right place. There are many things you can use to help the mattress alone sit an an angle. If money isn’t a problem, you might even invest in a special bed with lumbar controls.
Stop smoking now. Smoking worsens acid reflux and may actually cause it. It makes digestion slow down and causes an increase in stomach acid, and it slows down saliva production on top of all that. It also weakens the muscles that keep your stomach closed tight. This is the reason why you should quit right away.
Acid Reflux
Slippery elm, when ingested as a supplement, can help thicken mucous in your stomach and reduce erosion of the stomach lining. This helps protect your stomach from the acid within. Most people take one to two tablespoons in a glass of water after eating and just before bed to get the most relief from the remedy.
Some foods tend to cause acid reflux more than others. The list includes fatty foods, caffeinated beverages, chocolate and alcohol. Citrus fruits and acidic vegetables like tomatoes are also well known culprits. Specific triggers can vary for each person, so you will have to experiment to figure out which particular foods trigger your acid reflux. To be safe, avoid all these.
The supplement slippery elm is known to assist in managing acid reflux. It does this by thickening your stomach’s mucous lining layer. This thickening process protects your stomach lining from all the acid it contains. To obtain the maximum relief, many people mix one or two tablespoons of slippery elm into their glass of water right before bed.
Everyone has a few foods that cause them to experience acid reflux. Find out what these triggers are for you and reduce your consumption. Some of the items are coffee, milk, and spicy foods. Check around and you can easily find a full list.
Heart Attack
Acid reflux is so painful that it can sometimes be mistaken for a heart attack. If you are suffering from serious chest pain, don’t ignore it. These could be the signs of a heart attack. Seek medical advice as soon as possible. Do not take any risks if you believe your health might be at risk.
Stay upright after eating. Lying down contraindicates the downward motion food should take when being digested. Remaining upright can avoid issues with your acid reflux and keep you feeling healthy.
To help combat acid reflux, use something to raise up your bed at the head portion only. This can be done by using bricks, blocks of wood or by getting those raisers that are built for lifting up a bed. Make sure your head is at least a half foot higher than above the end of the bed. Elevating your chest helps stop the stomach acid rising in your sleep.
Treat your acid reflux symptoms by hydrating yourself. Try to consume at least 8 glasses of water a day. You’ll stay better hydrated this way. In addition, it aids in food digestion. Help your food digest by drinking water. It will decrease the production of acid.
Also, try and keep those stress triggers contained. Too much stress is something that contributes to excess acid in one’s stomach, and that can lead to inflammation and heartburn. Determine the cause of your stress and do whatever you need to in order to stop it from impacting you any more.
To reduce the risk of acid reflux, lose those extra pounds. Obesity is one of the leading causes. Just losing a small amount of weight can help. You can use smaller meals to lose weight, because crash dieting is not the answer.
If excess pounds are plaguing you, work to lose them. Extra middle weight on your body helps contribute to your acid reflux. The excess weight can force acid into your esophagus from your stomach. Not only is this extremely painful, it can cause long term damage to your esophageal lining. A healthy lifestyle that is full of exercise and a balanced diet will help lose some extra weight and avoid having it come back.
Try a simple exercise like walking to keep you upright. This form of exercise can help you improve your acid reflux for several reasons. First, being upright keeps acid down where it belongs. Also, walking helps you to reduce your weight, and that in turn relieves your reflux symptoms. While moderate exercise is vital, avoid intense exercise since it can worsen reflux.
What are your trigger foods? Avoid foods such as garlic, onions, fried foods or spicy foods. Your triggers won’t be the same as mine, so while onions may affect me, you may be fine with them.
Try to ensure you get a moderate amount of exercise if you have acid reflux. A low-impact fitness routine, such as one with walking and aerobics, is highly effective. Sitting upright will help the body digest your food and keep everything in your stomach.
Eat small meals more frequently than large ones. Consuming only a couple of very large meals each day can worsen your acid reflux symptoms. You can experience acid reflux when you overeat because the food can come back up in your esophagus. Heartburn is caused when the stomach acid comes back to your esophagus. Instead, opt for small meals about five times a day.
Don’t eat three hours before your bedtime. Your digestion slows down while you’re sleeping, and the acid can move towards your esophagus. If you eat right before you go to bed at night, there is a good chance that you will wake up with heartburn.
Extra Weight
Try using moderate exercise to help with your acid reflux. Be careful not to overdo it. Vigorous routines can aggravate your digestive tract and cause reflux, but moderate or low-impact activities like walking can help your reflux greatly. These exercises will keep you upright, allowing gravity to facilitate your digestion. Moderate exercise helps you lose weight too.
If you’re carrying extra weight, make an effort to lose it. Your extra weight might be putting too much pressure on your stomach. The pressure against your stomach caused by the extra weight can create heartburn issuues. Just losing a couple of pounds can be of help.
If you notice your acid reflux worsening, you may want to speak with a physician about having surgery. Fundoplication is a great method for you to use that can get your stomach acid under control. This procedure is permanent and can even get rid of reflux completely.
Pregnant women sometimes experience acid reflux due to pregnancy pressure on the stomach. Speak with your doctor to see if there are options to combat your issue.
While consuming your meals, limit your beverage consumption. Liquids can cause the stomach to distend. This situation places pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. Your esophagus has a harder time closing up and keeping the acids down when you are too full.
If you often experience acid reflux after going to bed, you need to make some changes to your habits. Get into the habit of sleeping on your left side. If you choose this course of action, stomach acids stay in their rightful location.
Limit your alcohol intake if you are suffering with acid reflux issues. Alcohol consumption is a major cause of excessive production of stomach acids. If you must drink alcohol, try drinking at most a couple of glasses and look for alcohol or wine that doesn’t worsen your symptoms of acid reflux.
Acid reflux is exacerbated by beverages containing carbonation or caffeine. Caffeinated beverages, including coffee, black tea, and soft drinks, fill your stomach with too much acid. They can also break down your stomach lining causing irritation. Green teas and other herbal teas are great.
Try to determine the foods which produce the most discomfort after you eat them. You can find long lists of foods that will trigger an reflux attack, but your body differs from those of others. What triggers pain for you might do nothing to others, so journal your foods and reactions.
Stop eating at least three hours before you go to sleep. This will give your stomach enough time to digest while you are awake. You will probably wake up with acid reflux if you go to sleep within three hours after your dinner.
Acid reflux is unpleasant, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. You can take control and improve your situation. There are a number of things you can do to prevent or reduce the unpleasant effects of acid reflux. Hopefully the tips you read here will help you quickly address any reflux issues in the future.