How To Stay Symptom Free With Acid Reflux
Acid reflux can help make sure that you never feel comfortable no matter your surroundings. You don't want to suffer through this day after day. Instead, you want a life that is free of this harmful and painful condition. Keep reading to find out how you can do this for yourself with some simple tips and tricks.
If you have acid reflux disease, you may want to consider using Proton Pump Inhibitors, or PPIs. This is a medication is prescribed your doctor and is used to stop stomach acid from getting into your intestines and stomach. Obviously, if there is no acid in your stomach, it cannot come up through the esophagus either.
Food consumption is a main trigger of acid reflux. Lots of people eat too much food, and they eat it really fast. You will see a detriment to your health if you continue to eat this way with acid reflux. Eating smaller portions can really help with this. Take all the time you need to eat. Chew food carefully, and set your fork on the table between bites.
Try to avoid drinking anything while you eat. When you drink, your stomach fills up and expands, which can cause distension. This puts pressure on the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus, sometimes causing food to pass back up through it. When this happens, acid reflux has begun, as will your suffering.
Exercise is an important habit for those who have GERD, but your timing is key. Wait for two hours after eating before you become active, and don't follow your activity with a sports drink as they are acidic and can make your GERD flare up. Instead, drink water or milk to refuel.
Try to keep yourself elevated when going to bed. Sometimes it could be enough to just add a pillow or two to help you. However, sometimes you may need to have pillows or cushions set up to help you sleep in a sitting position. You might also want to consider sleeping in a recliner on some of your bad days.
Acid reflux can be caused by eating large meals too quickly. If at all possible, try to break your meals down into smaller portions throughout the day. If that isn't possible, take the time to eat your food slowly. This will make it easier to tell when you're full, and prevent acid reflux caused by overeating.
Stay upright after eating. 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.
Eating slower has been shown to help with the symptoms of acid reflux. This gives your stomach a chance to adjust to the food that you are taking in. Try chewing your food a minimum of 25 times and really savor the food you are eating. Eat only until you are comfortably full and never till you are stuffed.
Consider taking a proton pump inhibitor. Drugs such as omeprazole work to reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces, stopping acid reflux at the source. Make sure you talk to your doctor before starting these types of medicine, even those that can be obtained over-the-counter. You will need to make sure that too much acid in the stomach is the cause of your acid reflux.
Try a spoonful of honey. While there is no hard evidence that honey treats acid reflux, it is very useful to soothe and relieve the painful burning associated with it. Honey will coat your esophagus in a protective and soothing layer, and help neutralize some of the acid. If you are looking for some relief until you can identify and treat the cause of your heartburn, a little honey can be just what you need to get back to sleep.
Stay away from those fatty foods. The foods you should eliminate or reduce include red meats, fast food and fried foods. You can find the fat content of foods by reading the labels. Label reading is a developed skill and easy once you learn the basics.
The foods you eat play a big role in acid reflux. Discover which foods trigger your symptoms and do your best to avoid these foods. There are main culprits, but what bothers one person will not always bother another. Write down the foods you eat and your body's response to help you figure out what your trigger foods are.
Take the advice that has been given to you here, and work towards eliminating acid reflux from your life. It's not going to happen instantly, but you can be assured that the strategies here will help you. Do not subject yourself to that daily discomfort any longer, and make sure that you follow the advice that has been given to you.
