Not a single person is exempt from the possibility of acid reflux. Roughly one-third of all Americans deal with it. Considering how many people have it, it is surprising that so few know how to control it. The information that follows contains the help you need when it comes to combating acid reflux.
GERD is more likely to occur when you are overweight. The sphincter between your stomach and esophagus can become relaxed if there is too much pressure on it, for instance from extra weight. When you lose weight and trim up, you’ll find your sphincter tightens and keeps acid where it belongs.
Put a wedge beneath your mattress to boost your head and keep acid down. Bricks, wood, books – what you use it up to you. You may also find beds that are electronically controlled.
Acid reflux disease can be aggravated by stress. When you are stressed, your body naturally produces more stomach acid. To combat this tendency, you should make every attempt to relax, before, during and after every meal. Yoga or meditation are excellent ways to reduce stress; however, you can do simpler things, such as watching your favorite television shows or reading a good book.
To sleep well, think about propping your head with a mattress wedge. You can do a variety of things to help elevate the mattress. There are beds which are electronically controlled which you can use as well.
One herbal supplement that serves to thicken your stomach’s mucous lining is slippery elm. This supplement is very effective at protecting your stomach from harmful stomach acid. Put a tablespoon or two into water after your meals and right before you go to sleep to maximize its effectiveness.
Do not lie down immediately after you have eaten. Having a horizontal digestive system leads to problems. It’s possible to reduce your acid reflux symptoms by remaining upright after your meal, and of course, eating healthy at all times.
Certain foods are notorious triggers for acid reflux. Among them are chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and fried foods. Food that are high in acid, like tomatoes and oranges also cause reflux. Triggers are different for everyone, and therefore you may require trial and error before knowing what causes your pain. To be perfectly safe, you can avoid all of these items.
Stressful Situations
Avoid stressful situations. Stress can cause an influx of acid in the stomach, which cause heartburn. You need to eliminate stressful situations and learn to manage your stress more efficiently.
Keep a close watch on specific foods you have recently consumed when you are troubled by reflux. You have some types of foods that trigger acid reflux for you, just like every other person who suffers with this condition. When you know what they are, you can try to avoid them, especially at night.
Take your time while eating. Do not eat more than what makes you full. Make sure you taste every bite of your food and don’t rush the process. Stuffing yourself and wolfing down your food will surely lead to acid reflux. One way to really slow things down is by placing your fork on the table after each bite.
Eat small meals frequently. If your eating pattern is to eat a couple of very large meals during the day, then you are complicating your reflux condition a lot. If your stomach is too full, it will exert pressure on the sphincter that separates the esophagus and the stomach. This will cause acid reflux. Stomach acid can then make its way back up into your esophagus. Eating smaller meals on a more frequent basis will help to reduce your symptoms.
Do not smoke if you suffer from acid reflux. Stomach acid levels increase with nicotine consumption. This makes acid reflux worse. But, you may not want to quit quit abruptly, as doing so may stress the body unduly, making the acid reflux even worse. Try quitting slowly.
Shed a few pounds. Being overweight can cause you to suffer from reflux even more. The fat around your mid-section puts extra pressure on your stomach and increases the likelihood of reflux. Losing just a bit of weight can often bring welcome relief.
Try to drink mostly in between meals if you suffer from acid reflux. The muscle of your lower esophageal sphincter relaxes under the pressure when liquids are added to the food in the stomach. When this happens, stomach acid moves upward and damages your esophageal lining.
Chew cinnamon gum after meals. This increases saliva production. The saliva will help neutralize stomach acid. Plus, quite often you swallow more when you chew gun, so it clears out any acid that could be in your esophagus. You can also use gum that is fruity. Mint flavored gum causes the esophageal sphincter to relax, adding to the problem.
Exercise often if you want to improve your condition. Just make sure to not over do it. Try not to exercise rigorously, as this can actually exacerbate your symptoms. Such exercises work to keep you in an upright position, allowing gravity to aid digestion. Besides, being more active will help you get in shape and reduce the pressure on your stomach.
Were you aware that the acidic or alkaline tendency related to food is in no way related to a food’s pH level? Acidic foods such as lemons actually become alkaline upon digestion. For those who have acid reflux, this can cause some confusion. Get to know your food pH if you suffer from acid reflux.
Place your bed on risers to help with night time acid reflux. Use a wedge or a plank to raise the head of your bed. Try to adjust the head of your bed at least six inches. When you have your chest and head elevated, stomach acid is less likely to come up when sleeping.
Relax as much as you can. If you eat when stressed, it can lead to acid reflux. After eating, practice a little meditation, deep breathing and light relaxation exercise. Never lay down after a meal.
Eat any meal three hours prior to sleeping. For example, if your bedtime is 10 PM., you should eat the last meal by no later than 7 PM. The reason is that lying prostrate with a full stomach tends to increase pressure on the LES muscle. The result is more intense acid reflux.
You might realize that a very active lifestyle could be part of the problem. Increase your intake of water. Water will help you stay hydrated. The water will also aid in digestion. Water can help balance out the actions of acid in your stomach. Just don’t drink too much water at the time.
Eat at least three hours before bed. Your body has a harder time trying to process food in a sleep state. Eating just before calling it a day improves your chances of getting up in the middle of the night with heartburn.
If pregnancy is the cause of your reflux, you may need to find what your triggers are. A change in your diet could be the solution to your issue. Once you find the root of your acid reflux, you can keep it from recurring.
Engage in moderate, upright exercise, like taking a long walk. This type of exercise helps to reduce your acid reflux in several ways. First, being upright keeps acid down where it belongs. Also, it can facilitate weight loss, which also improves acid reflux symptoms. Although moderate exercise is important, you should not do intense exercise because this can actually worsem, not improve, acid reflux.
If you can’t control acid reflux with lifestyle changes, turn to medication. You can pick from a number of OTC medications or prescription medications. Talk with your doctor if you have not found relief using non-prescription alternatives. Don’t use another person’s medication.
Millions of people in America suffer from acid reflux. If you’re one of them, don’t let it control your life. Take steps to fight it. Use the methods above to help relieve your symptoms.
Shed some excess pounds. Overweight people are more likely to have acid reflux. Extra pressure on your stomach by stored fat makes it much likely to reflux. You can notice a significant improvement if you lose just a couple pounds.