If you are finding it difficult to control your acid reflux, maybe you just don’t have the information you need to help prevent the symptoms. There are lots of medications and natural remedies for acid reflux. Know what your choices are, so you can make an educated decision.
Acid reflux symptoms are often worse when eating habits are poor. Many folks eat rapidly, and consume abundant amounts. This is a very poor way to eat. Avoid overeating. You should also make a conscious effort to eat more slowly. Chew food carefully and lay down your fork every couple bites.
Make sure you eat dinner at least three hours before bed. This can help you to process your food and digest it better. The acid could easily rise if you lay down. This is why it’s best to stop eating several hours before bedtime.
Stay at a normal weight to avoid suffering from acid reflux. The sphincter starts to relax more when fat pushes down on the stomach. When you lose that weight, you will find the sphincter works properly by keeping stomach acid from rising up.
Maintaining a healthy body weight reduces your acid reflux symptoms. Excess fat pushing on your stomach could cause the esophageal sphincter to relax. Losing weight and getting trim can help keep your stomach acid in your stomach, where it belongs.
Fatty Foods
The fattier a food is, the worse the acid reflux becomes. Fatty foods cause acid to flow in the wrong direction. Fatty foods also cause weight gain, which increases your susceptibility to reflux. When you eat right and stay healthy, you can control acid reflux.
Smoking causes acid reflux, so if you have this problem and you smoke you are well advised to stop. Stomach acid production goes up when you smoke while saliva production goes down. Don’t stress yourself by stopping smoking all at once as this could also exacerbate your problem. Quit slowly instead.
Stress can cause acid reflux. During stressful times, stomach acid production increases significantly, which leads to reflux. Therefore, you should relax while eating and after each meal. For example, you might indulge in yoga, reading or solving a crossword puzzle.
Acid Reflux
Do not exercise within an hour of eating your meal. If you contract your abs during your workout, stomach acid could be forced in your esophagus and cause pain. You should wait a minimum of an hour or two after eating before engaging in exercise activities.
Our acid reflux can be triggered by specific foods. You should avoid fat and greasy foods, tomatoes, chocolate, coffee and alcohol. You should also use caution with foods that are acidic, such as citrus and tomatoes, as they can also trigger acid reflux. Keep a log of what foods seem to cause your acid reflux. You may find some common problem foods are fine for you, while other foods that are not listed upset your stomach. If you want to err on the side of caution, simply stay away from everything listed above.
Slippery elm, an herbal supplement, is believed to thicken the stomach’s mucous lining and limit erosion from acid reflux. The extra mucous provides protection from acid. Consume about one tablespoon full with water just after a meal and just prior to going to sleep.
Don’t wear restrictive clothing. Tight pantyhose, waistbands, and belts usually fall into this category. These types of clothing put extra added pressure on the stomach area. It may actually cause reflux to occur. Let your stomach breathe a little more by wearing comfortable clothing.
Don’t exercise right after a meal. Food in the stomach may be forced into the esophagus when the lower abdominal muscles are contracting during an exercise routine. Don’t engage in vigorous exercise for at least an hour after eating.
Keep cinnamon gum on you at all times, and eat a stick of it after every meal. Whenever you chew gum, your saliva production increases. And that saliva really neutralizes the acids in your stomach. Additionally, you will swallow more which can reduce the acid built up in your esophagus. Fruity gums can also work. Many people enjoy using chewing gum, if you are one of them, avoid mint since it can relax your esophagus and encourage reflux.
Losing weight can lessen or prevent acid reflux. The most common situation leading to acid reflux is being overweight. You can decrease the likelihood of acid reflux symptoms by reducing your body weight by a mere 10%. Don’t engage in fad diets. Instead, control your weight by eating small and sensible meals several times daily.
Try to limit the triggers of stress in your life stemming from school, relationships or personal issues. Stress is one of the catalysts of acid in your stomach, which is directly related to heartburn and inflammation. Determine the cause of your stress and do whatever you need to in order to stop it from impacting you any more.
Slippery Elm
There are particular foods that are well-known acid reflux triggers. You have to figure out which items affect you the most. Things to avoid include coffee, tomatoes, carbonated beverages, fatty foods and acidic juices.
Slippery elm lozenge could be tried. Slippery elm helps coat your digestive tract. In lozenge form, it will also relieve the coughing that often accompanies a bout of reflux and will soothe an irritated throat. You can find these lozenges at most natural and health food stores.
If you are overweight, try to lose some weight. Excess weight negatively impacts acid reflux. There will be added pressure on the stomach and you could get bad heartburn. Taking off just 10 pounds can really help you gain control.
Also, try and keep those stress triggers contained. This can be a major cause of symptom exacerbation, leading to acid production and pain. Determine the cause of your stress and do whatever you need to in order to stop it from impacting you any more.
Avoid drinking beverages when you eat in order to decrease the acid reflux risk. Drinking at mealtime increases your stomach volume. This causes more pressure on the esophageal sphincter, which in turn causes acid reflux. Consume beverages ether before or after your meal to lessen risk of this problem.
If you’re pregnant and have acid reflux symptoms, find out the cause. You may discover that a small thing like drinking a beverage, even water, during the evening hours could be causing your symptoms. If you can identify the cause, you can probably prevent it.
Relax! Don’t eat when you’re upset or you will increase your acid build-up. After you eat, take some time to breath deeply, meditate or simply relax. Remain upright following each meal.
You should not have a large dinner before going to bed. Wait at least three hours before heading to bed. The acids from your food breaking down might cause heartburn if you lay down while full.
Are you now prepared to take control of acid reflux? The information included here can help you take control and live a better life. Your suffering will be over when you take action.
Reach a healthy weight. Acid reflux can be exacerbated by too much weight. It puts unnecessary pressure on your stomach which, in turn, causes all sorts of heartburn issues. Losing just a little weight can be helpful.