When you are having pain after eating certain foods, especially spicy things, and aren’t sure how to deal with it, you may have acid reflux. Although this disorder can be troublesome and annoying, you can learn how to deal with it effectively. Read this article for some great tips that you can use!
Enjoy your food. If you savor each bite, investigating the flavors and truly allowing yourself to taste it, you will chew more and even eat less. Your stomach will realize it’s full when you eat slowly, which allows you to keep your weight in check by eating less and also keep your stomach from overfilling.
After you take a bite or two, put down your fork. This ensures you are chewing fully and truly slowing down while you eat. Consider what this bite tastes like, and what was different than the last bite. Enjoy the texture of the food both when it first enters your mouth, and once you are done chewing.
The most significant factor attributed with acid reflux is being overweight. Those who are obese are two times more likely to have GERD than someone who is at a healthy weight. The pressure on your stomach of all the extra pounds can cause the esophageal sphincter to relax, allowing acid to give you trouble.
Maintaining a healthy body weight reduces your acid reflux symptoms. When extra pounds press down on your abdomen, it causes your esophageal sphincter to relax. Losing weight and getting trim can help keep your stomach acid in your stomach, where it belongs.
Fatty foods no more! Fried chicken, pizza, chicken wings and potato chips are the enemy of the GERD sufferer. These foods cause your sphincter to relax, allowing the contents of your stomach, acid and all, to rise back up into your esophagus. Go for meals full of vegetables and lean protein instead.
Do you suffer from respiratory problems? Do you have a chronic couch or wheeze often? If so, it could be an acid reflux problem. Heartburn could cause these symptoms. Your doctor might suggest a pH test. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis over the course of 24 hours and can determine if reflux is a problem.
Keep a journal. If you can track when and what you are doing when you have an acid attack, you might be able to alter your life to eliminate those attacks. Write down what you eat, what you have done that day and if you have had any discomforts. You may be surprised at what you find and how easy it is to eliminate some of your problems.
Take over the counter antacids or acid relievers. These are very helpful in relieving acid reflux for a lot of people. If they do not offer you relief, talk to your doctor about a prescription for your reflux. They can also help relieve symptoms and work to heal your esophageal lining
There is a drug called phenylalanine and it is found inside of most over-the-counter antacids. If you have acid reflux and you also have mental retardation and/or seizures, you should not take them. This is because the phenylalanine will make you more prone to having seizures. Talk to your doctor about other options.
You want to avoid foods that contain a high amount of acid in order to reduce acid reflux attacks. Examples of foods that are known to have a high acidic content are grapefruit, tomatoes, and pineapple. If you do have a history of issues after eating these foods, it may be best to avoid eating them late at night, or entirely.
Eat smaller meals, more often. Eating big meals can increase your chances of having to deal with acid reflux. A very full stomach will open up because the sphincter, located between your stomach and esophagus, has too much pressure on it. This can end up leading to a lot of discomfort. Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead.
Avoid Certain Foods. Some foods are more likely to trigger acid reflux than others. These include caffeine, spicy food, alcohol, tomatoes, chocolate, and any foods that are acidic in nature. If you frequently suffer from acid reflux, consider eliminating these foods from your diet, or at least try not to eat them in the hours before you go to bed.
Alter your activity after meals. If you suffer from frequent bouts of acid reflux, watch your activity after meals. Avoid clothing that is tight around the middle, and try not to bend over or do any heavy lifting. All of these things can help keep your stomach acid where it belongs.
Instead of allowing yourself to suffer continuously due to acid reflux, take control of your life again. You have already taken some steps in researching what exactly it is, and now you can learn to control it. If you or a loved one suffers from acid reflux, remember these great tips!
