Do you have an acid reflux problem? If you do, then you likely have suffered through many days with that feeling in your throat. It can lead to larger problems, and it’s time that you took control over your life and your acid reflux. There are ways to make sure this problem is gone for good, so keep reading.
Stay away from acidic foods. They can both cause and exacerbate acid reflux. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, try to avoid oranges, tomatoes, grapefruit and vinegar. If you can’t cut them out of your diet completely, at least try to avoid eating them in the evenings, so acid reflux doesn’t strike when it is time for bed.
Skinny jeans are the enemy of the acid reflux sufferer! Wearing tight clothes can block up your digestive system, causing you a great deal of pain when acid begins to back up. Go for elastic waistbands until you have your acid reflux under control, then you can consider getting back into your tight fitting pants.
When your symptoms are at their worst, mix 1 teaspoon of regular baking soda with eight ounces of water. Drink this slowly, one sip at a time, until your symptoms subside. Do NOT do this every day as baking soda contains a great deal of sodium which can lead to a myriad of other health problems.
If you plan to exercise rigorously, drink lots of water while you work out. This not only hydrates you; it helps to aid in digestion. It also washes acid down and out of your esophagus, keeping it in your stomach where it belongs. If this still doesn’t help, talk to your doctor about medications.
Sometimes, there is nothing that can be done to prevent acid reflux disease. This is why you need to learn of what you can do when an attack occurs. Try drinking cold milk or eating some cracker or bread. These remedies help by reducing the amount of acid that comes up through the esophagus.
There are certain foods that trigger acid reflux. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to avoid these if possible. One example is chocolate. While dark chocolate doesn’t appear to be as bad as high-fat milk chocolate, they both contain caffeine and cocoa, which are both known to cause acid reflux.
Medications that are available over the counter at a drugstore or pharmacy will only temporarily mask acid reflux disease symptoms with not much effectiveness. If you find yourself using these products with increasing regularity, you should consult a doctor. They can prescribe stronger prescription medications that prevent acid reflux from occurring.
Exercise daily to help reduce acid reflux. These exercises should be low impact exercises such as walking. Gravity is known to help decrease the odds of acid reflux; therefore, go for a walk after eating to lessen the effects of stomach upset and increased stomach acids. Exercising will also help you lose weight which will aid in reducing acid reflux.
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.
There are lots of potential trigger foods that can cause you heartburn and acid reflux. Try to avoid these foods. The usual suspects are fatty fried foods, caffeinated drinks, chocolate, alcohol, citrus juices and fruits, spicy foods, tomatoes and beverages with lots of carbonation. If you just avoid these foods, you will eliminate many symptoms.
The last meal of each day should be consumed three hours prior to bedtime. If your bedtime is at 11 p.m., you would avoid eating after 8 p.m. The reason being that lying down on a full stomach puts extra pressure on the LES muscle. This in turn is what can cause the acid reflux to begin.
Now that you’ve been told the tips that have been given to you in this article, you need to focus on a good plan for making sure that you bring them to fruition. You don’t want to suffer through your acid reflux any more of your days. Put the information you’ve read to good use as you work towards a better life without acid reflux.