Acid reflux can take over your life. Getting relief is possible, but it’s important to know more about it. Do you know how to deal with acid reflux? You should go over the following article to learn more about the different solutions you can use to get rid of your acid reflux problem.
If you are a smoker, it is high-time to throw out the cigarettes once and for all. Smoking causes and worsens acid reflux symptoms. Smoking can increase stomach acids and slow down digestion. It causes the esophageal sphincter to relax as well. It is extremely important that you quit today.
Eat dinner a minimum of three hours before bedtime. Stomach acids stay in the stomach when you have your body upright. Because of gravity, these acids can rise into the esophagus when you are not sitting or standing, causing heartburn. You give the food in your stomach a chance to digest if you stop eating well before bed.
Hot and spicy foods and seasonings can exacerbate reflux, so avoiding them can provide relief. These food items work to heighten the acids that build up inside the digestive system, causing your condition to be worsened. You will usually find relief by avoiding these foods.
Pregnancy can cause acid reflux in women. Growing babies crowd a pregnant woman’s stomach, which makes acid reside in the esophagus. You can keep your symptoms under control by sticking with low-fat and low-acid foods. If this strategy isn’t effective, try out different teas in order to soothe your esophagus and eliminate harmful stomach acids without putting your baby in danger.
Heart Attack
There are times that reflux could become so painful that you think you are having a heart attack. You should not be ignoring chest pains at any time. It is possible that a heart attack is occurring or is close. Call your doctor immediately to find out what to do. If misdiagnosis occurs, you could end up with serious health issues.
Some foods are very likely to cause acid reflux or make existing reflux worse. Caffeine based foods, chocolate, and even fried foods are common culprits. Citrus, tomatoes, onions and garlic are other common triggers. Acid reflux triggers and symptoms vary with each individual, so you must be vigilant in keeping track of your triggers. Stay away from all these foods to avoid acid reflux.
Avoid overly restrictive clothing. Tight belts, waistbands and pantyhose can cause you discomfort. Wearing clothes that are too tight can put a lot of pressure on your abdomen. Heartburn and reflux can frequently result. Always wear garments you find comfortable and which let your midsection breathe.
Extra Weight
The supplement slippery elm is known to assist in managing acid reflux. It does this by thickening your stomach’s mucous lining layer. This lining forms a protective barrier against acid. Many people mix a tablespoon or two into some water and drink it after eating or just before bed.
Take off the extra weight. Being overweight, especially when most of the additional pounds are located on your stomach, can worsen your acid reflux symptoms. Extra weight around the middle increases pressure on the stomach, causing the reflux. You can notice a significant improvement if you lose just a couple pounds.
If you suffer from acid reflux, avoid foods that may trigger it. Some of the foods known to trigger reflux include mint, citrus, garlic, tomatoes, onions, fizzy drinks and caffeinated beverages. There are different triggers for each person, so find yours and avoid them.
While eating, remain in an upright position, and remain this way for three hours afterwards. Lying down can force acid back up into your esophagus. Your esophagus may feel better when you stand or sit up.
For people who have acid reflux, simply chewing some cinnamon gum after eating a meal can help. When gum is chewed, the salivary glands begin working overtime, and this neutralizes stomach acids. In addition, gum makes a person swallow more often. This helps push the stomach acid back into the stomach where it belongs.
Pizza is no friend to a reflux sufferer! Tomato sauces can be made less acidic through the addition of sugar. The sauce will be sweeter, making it easier to consume.
Reflux may feel painful enough to trick you into thinking you are suffering from a heart attack. If you are suffering from serious chest pain, don’t ignore it. Chest pains are often a sign up a big problem in the body, like a cardiac arrest. Call for medical assistance, right away. You don’t need serious health issues because of a wrong self-diagnosis.
Slowly consume your meals to alleviate your acid reflux. Use it as a chance to savor your food. Also, don’t over stuff yourself.
To avoid acid reflux, don’t drink when you are eating. Any type of liquid that you drink when you eat increases the volume in your stomach. This adds pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, which increases the chances of getting reflux. You should drink in between your meals more than during your meals.
Try limiting stress triggers from relationships, school, work, or personal issues. Stress is a leading cause of excessive stomach acid production, which can cause acid reflux. Learn to manage your stress, or get rid of the ones you can.
Limit the amount you drink during your meals. The water you drink will be absorbed by the food already in your stomach. A full stomach puts too much pressure on your esophagus. When this muscle relaxes, reflux can frequently occur.
Reflux problems could be decreased if you drink a smoothie each day. Blend together a banana, pear and apple along with spinach, celery, romaine lettuce, and lemon juice. Then add some water. Drinking this every morning helps to ease constipation, one cause of a relaxed esophageal sphincter. In addition, this drink is very alkaline, helping to clear out excess stomach acid.
Eat your food slowly. Try only eating until you’re almost full. Make sure to savor the food and take as much time as you need. If you eat too quickly or eat more food than you need, you will experience acid reflux. One trick to alleviate some of your issues is to place your fork on your plate between each bite.
Acid Reflux
Try to focus on the types of beverages that are causing acid reflux. Beverages with caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks tend to cause acid reflux. Cutting these out of your diet will help to lessen your acid reflux issues, and you should turn to water as your key drink.
Drink water between meals and drink sparingly during meals. If your stomach has too many contents, constant pressure is caused in your lower esophageal sphincter. This can destroy the lining of your esophagus, which will be permanent.
Look for stress relieving techniques to help your acid reflux. Even though stress might not directly cause acid reflux, it does tend to lead to bad vices such as drinking, smoking and binging on food which can make the conditions of acid reflux much worse. Therefore, by reducing your stress, you are indirectly improving your acid reflux.
It is important to be careful about the sorts of drinks you consume. Have you ever had four sodas with your dinner? That may sound excessive, but some people overdo their favorite beverages. Sodas and coffee stimulate acid production in the stomach. Limit their intake.
Avoid alcohol if you have acid reflux. Alcohol can cause your stomach to produce more acid than needed. If you have to drink, stick to one glass a day.
Keep your drinking of alcohol to minimum if your suffer from acid reflux. Your esophagus can be weakened by consuming liquor, bear and wine. This can cause more problems with acid reflux. You can surely have a drink once in a while, but try to steer clear of excessive drinking.
If you can’t control acid reflux with lifestyle changes, turn to medication. There are many OTC medications and prescription medications you can take. If prescription strength is what you need to get relief from your acid reflux, make an appointment with your doctor. Never take medicine that has been prescribed for someone else.
You should not eat within the few hours before you hit the sack. Acid reflux can tend to get worse when you are laying down. When you wake up, you’ll have a bad case of heartburn.
Processed foods, or those high in sugar can cause too much gastric acid to be produced. You can fight the effect by eating fruits and vegetables instead. If your colon is unbalanced or unhealthy it can make acid reflux worse. Try taking a probiotic to balance it out.
You should be able to get rid of acid reflux for good if you use the tips you just read. You should now see things clearly and know how to proceed. Before long, acid reflux will be a thing of the past!
See your doctor right away if you have bloody stool or vomit. This is a symptom of problems which go far beyond acid reflux, and you need to be tested. Whatever your problem is, it could be easily treated after seeing what your doctor has to say.