Are you one of the millions of people that have persistent heartburn more often than not? You could find relief from medications, diet alterations, and even exercise regimens. Learn some great tips about what you can do to decrease your pain and discomfort from the helpful article below.
If you suffer from acid reflux symptoms at night, you may need to change how you sleep. It would be best to lie on your back, with the upper half of your body propped up by a few pillows. When you lay flat, whether on your back, stomach, or side, you allow acid to come up through the esophagus.
Never, ever, EVER lie down after you eat! Even if you have only had a few bites, you may find that food comes back to haunt you in short order if you lie down. Eat meals at least two hours before lying down for a nap or overnight to ensure that acid doesn’t sneak back up your esophagus.
Exercise is an excellent way to stop the acid reflux. Through exercise, you can lose weight, putting less pressure on the stomach and reducing the severity and occurrence of heartburn and acid reflux. The key is to use moderate, low-impact exercises. Intense exercises can cause reflux through excessive agitation. Try to avoid drinking sports drinks and eating food before exercising, which can cause reflux.
Keep chewing gum handy. When you chew gum, it not only freshens your breath, but it causes you to salivate. This helps wash acid down your esophagus and back into your stomach, where it belongs. When choosing a flavor, avoid citrus and mint. Mint can cause your esophageal sphincter to relax, and citrus is high in acid.
Reflux sometimes feels like a heart attack. It would be best if you did not ignore chest pains. Having acid reflux does not stop you from suffering from a heart attack. Get in touch with your physician and follow their instructions. Please do not take chances when it comes to chest pain. The results can be life-threatening.
Changing your lifestyle could decrease the discomforts you feel from acid reflux. Watch your diet so you can avoid foods that trigger reflux. Reduce the stress you feel each day. Stress could cause the body to produce more acid. Shed a few pounds. The excess weight you carry could be putting pressure on your stomach and cause an acid backup.
The food you consume each day will make a difference in your reflux. Avoiding acidic foods, peppers, greasy foods, and alcoholic beverages could help. These foods and drinks could be causing the problem. Also, avoid eating less than three hours before your bedtime. Going to bed with a full stomach could make for a rough night and morning.
Do not take large bites when eating a meal if you want to feel comfortable and prevent the burning sensation from acid reflux. Your body needs to break down the food you put in your mouth, especially meats. Take small bites and chew your food for at least 10 seconds to feel comfortable during and after your meal.
Acid reflux can be caused by eating large meals too quickly. If 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.
If you suffer from acid reflux, you should try to limit the number of beverages you consume with your meals. The liquid will increase stomach distension and will add volume to your food. This puts more pressure on your esophagus. When more pressure is on your esophagus, it is harder to keep your food down.
Limit the number of drinks you have when you eat. Beverages can add volume to the food you digest and increase how distended your stomach is. Having a full stomach puts some pressure on your LES or lower esophageal sphincter, which is responsible for keeping food from getting back into the esophagus. This increases your chances of having reflux. To lower chances, take small sips when eating and try drinking your beverages between meals instead of during meals.
Avoid lying down after you’ve eaten. If you are prone to acid reflux, avoid lying flat for at least two hours after a snack or meal. Standing or walking can help your gastric juices start flowing correctly. When you go to sleep, try keeping the upper portion of your body elevated using a foam wedge or some books under the mattress or propping up your legs with blocks or books.
If you smoke, you need to quit. There are many reasons you should quit, but if you suffer from acid reflux, this is another reason. Smoking slows down your digestion and reduces your saliva production, worsening acid reflux symptoms. In addition, smoking harms your LES muscle, further worsening your acid reflux. Quitting this terrible habit can significantly improve your acid reflux, not to mention all the other benefits.
Pizza is no friend to a reflux sufferer! Tomato sauces can be made less acidic through the addition of sugar. Sugar helps sweeten the sauce and makes it much easier to consume without pain.
Don’t exercise too vigorously if you are at risk of acid reflux. An intense workout can aggravate the digestive tract and increase the likelihood of reflux after meals. Walking is the perfect way to keep fit and reduce or maintain a healthy body weight to reduce the risk of acid reflux further. Start slowly if you are not used to regular exercise.
Information is the only way to help lessen your discomforts brought on by acid reflux. Learning as much as possible about the topic will help you. You should have learned quite a bit about the subject and what you should do each day to remain comfortable after eating and while you sleep.
