Does your chest hurt? Does it become worse when you are lying down? Do you feel it mostly after eating? Do you have that bitter taste inside your mouth? Acid reflux could cause health issues such as a damaged esophagus if you do not take action. This could definitely be acid reflux. Read on to discover ways to help battle through it!
Stop eating for a period of three hours or more before going to sleep. In a seated position, food and secreted stomach acid is forced downward to your stomach. If you lie down, acid can move into the esophagus. Therefore, it is best to give yourself a few hours before you go to sleep.
Maintaining a healthy body weight reduces your acid reflux symptoms. At the end of your esophagus is a sphincter, and excess fat can press down on this and cause it to relax. When you lose weight and trim up, you’ll find your sphincter tightens and keeps acid where it belongs.
Some foods are more prone to causing acid reflux than others. Alcohol, chocolate, caffeine and fried foods are a few of the different items that can cause acid reflux. Other big contributors include acidic foods, including citrus fruits and tomatoes. Triggers are different for everyone, and therefore you may require trial and error before knowing what causes your pain. Stay away from all these foods to avoid acid reflux.
Keep an eye on the types of foods you eat which causes the symptoms of acid relux to flare up. Everyone who suffers from acid reflux has some kind of trigger foods that tend to bring it on. You should avoid your triggers in the evenings once you know what they are.
Exercising right after a meal can aggravate your acid reflux. When you exercise, the abdominal muscles can push food that’s in the stomach up through the esophagus. This can result in acid reflux. Wait an hour or more following a meal to exercise.
Get in shape to reduce acid reflux. Obesity is one of the leading causes. Lose some weight in your midsection to reduce the pressure on your stomach. Adopt a healthy diet that includes reasonable quantities of many different foods instead of going on a crash diet.
Avoid reclining after eating. Your stomach will have a hard time digesting food in this position. When you are upright, gravity will assist in keeping acid down.
If acid reflux is something that bothers you, try doing most of your drinking between meals. Having too much liquid in your stomach causes pressure on your lower esophageal sphincter, making your acid reflux worse. If your stomach is too full, the acid will reach the esophagus and damage the lining of your digestive track.
Don’t eat highly fatty foods. The foods you should eliminate or reduce include red meats, fast food and fried foods. Get in the habit of checking all food labels to see the nutrition content and the amount of fat it contains.
How much do you know about the effects of alkalinity and acidity on the digestion of your food? Foods that seem acidic, such as lemons, become alkaline after digesting them. You might be confused by this if you have acid reflux. Learn the pH of foods if you have acid reflux.
Acid reflux should never be self-diagnosed. Discomfort and regurgitation are serious symptoms and should be presented to a physician. There are many health conditions that mimic acid reflux. There are many tests your doctor may utilize to diagnose the condition.
While eating, minimize the amount of beverages you consume. Anything your drink during a meal can add to stomach stress. This added stress can lead to acid reflux. Take small sips of water when you eat, and drink full glasses between meals.
If acid reflux is your issue, keep yourself in an upright position for two hours or more after eating. Doing so allows the force of gravity to work on your behalf to minimize the chance of reflux occurring. The food you eat, and the efficiency of your own internal digestive process, will impact the length of time you should wait before reclining.
It’s crucial that you visit a doctor immediately when you have bloody vomit or stool. This is indicative of bigger issues than simple acid reflux. Ruling out more serious problems is important.
Try not to consume too much liquid when you have your meals. Drinking bloats your stomach. This increases the pressure in your gut. This muscle helps to keep food from creeping up from your stomach and into your esophagus.
Any carbonated or caffeinated drink can cause acid reflux. Caffeinated drinks like black tea, cola, or coffee are acidic and can cause an overproduction of stomach acid. These drinks can also cause extra discomfort by damaging the stomach’s lining. Herbal teas like green tea are a great alternative.
Avoid stress! Although stress itself doesn’t directly contribute to acid reflux, it could cause you to participate in harmful activities, such as smoking, drinking, and overeating, which worsen acid reflux symptoms. By lowering your stress levels, you can improve your acid reflux.
What you drink and how often you drink should be analyzed if you suffer from acid reflux. Have you eaten a meal drinking two sodas? Well, that may be a stretch, but you have to watch how much liquid you put with your meals if you are trying to eliminate acid reflux.
Drink alcoholic beverages sparingly or not at all if you have acid reflux. Alcohol weakens the esophagus, and can cause acid reflux symptoms. It’s okay to drink every once in a while, but binge drinking is very harmful.
Try taking medicine if you suffer from acid reflux. There are a variety of over the counter remedies available, in addition to prescription medications. Ask your doctor for a prescription if you think it’s necessary. Your doctor is the only person who knows which medications are best for you.
You aren’t experiencing a heart attack. You know you don’t have the flu. However, acid reflux is bothering you, and you now know what to do about it. You have to make the time for change so you can live healthy.
