Do you have any pains in your chest? Do you feel it more when resting? Do you realize it starts after consuming a meal. Does your mouth often taste bitter? Or maybe your throat is hoarse a lot of the time? This could definitely be acid reflux. Read on to discover ways to help battle through it!
Poor eating habits is often what makes acid reflux rear its ugly head. The speed that you eat and the amount will both contribute to acid reflux problems. However, you should not do this because this will only worsen your acid reflux. Avoid overeating. Take all the time you need to eat. Chew each bite fully and put your fork down frequently.
Do not drink when you are eating. Instead, drink during the times between meals. This can significantly help you manage hunger pains, because you are likely thirsty rather than hungry. On top of that, drinking with food bloats your stomach, so drinking away from food is best.
It’s time to quit smoking! Smoking can both cause acid reflux and make existing reflux worse. It slows both digestion and saliva production, while encouraging the body to produce more stomach acid. It causes the esophageal sphincter to weaken. This is the reason why you should quit right away.
Stress serves to exacerbate acid reflux. Excess stress increases stomach acid production, which causes acid reflux. Engage in pleasant pursuits following meals. Meditate or try light yoga. Even watching your favorite television show can be relaxing and stress reducing.
Slippery elm is an herbal supplement that can thicken the mucous membranes that line the stomach. It does this by helping to protect your stomach against acidity. Adding two tablespoons of the supplement to a glass of drinking water after your meals and before bedtime seems to do the trick.
If you have acid reflux disease and you smoke, you may want to think about quitting. Nicotine increases stomach acid, thus, increasing bouts of acid reflux disease. Avoid quitting cold turkey, as the added stress could actually intensify the problems with reflux. Quit slowly instead.
Cinnamon gum is a good dessert to get accustomed to. When chewing happens, the amount of saliva produced in the mouth increases. Saliva is very useful to neutralize the acids produced in the stomach. Chewing gum also helps people to chew more, and this will help to flush away any acid in your esophagus. You could opt for fruit flavored gums. Mint gums are not a good idea, as they cause the sphincter of the esophagus to relax, making matters worse.
The feeling of a heart attack can be mimicked by severe reflux pain. Don’t ever ignore chest pains. You could be experiencing a heart attack. Get in touch with your physician and follow his or her instructions. You don’t need serious health issues because of a wrong self-diagnosis.
Try raising your bed’s head. Raise your bed up for your top half using items like heavy books or bed risers. Be sure your head is half a foot higher than the bottom of your bed. Raising your head is a good way of keeping the acid in your stomach.
If you have acid reflux and you are overweight, shed some pounds. Obesity is one of the leading causes. Lose just 10% of your weight to reduce your symptoms. Don’t be silly with excessive dieting schemes, instead reduce the size of your meal portions.
Alcoholic beverages can make acid reflux worse. Alcohol has many bad effects on your health. Among them are damage to the lining of the stomach and an increase in stomach acids. Therefore, when going out, use moderation when drinking alcohol.
Try moderate exercise that keeps you upright, such as walking. Such exercise helps with acid reflux for a number of reasons. First, staying upright helps your stomach digest food more easily. Also, you are more likely to shed a few excess pounds. While exercise can help to contain your acid reflux, ensure that it is low impact, as high impact will simply make matters worse.
It is common for pregnant women to experience acid reflux because their baby is pressing down on their stomach. Talk with your doctor to see how you can alleviate your symptoms.
Slim down and shed your excess weight. Being heavy will contribute to acid reflux. This causes stomach acids to move into the esophagus. This could damage your esophageal liner and cause you a great deal of discomfort. Diet and exercise will help alleviate your symptoms in addition to helping you lose weight.
You aren’t experiencing a heart attack. You do not have the flu, and your food is not really causing you to feel ill. Now you know these are symptoms of acid reflux and you know what to do to get rid of it. Put in the effort required to take control of your life.