Do you have acid reflux? If you aren’t quite positive what the answer is, it could be because the symptoms can come in some surprising shapes. It can cause usual heartburn, bloatedness, nausea, and a lump in your throat. To prevent these symptoms, read the following tips.
Drink liquids between meals rather than during them. This can really help with hunger pain, since you’re likely to find yourself thirsty. Also, if you drink outside of eating times, you’ll find your stomach doesn’t get as distended when you eat and acid doesn’t pass back up into your esophagus.
Stress is a huge opponent of acid reflux. During stressful times, stomach acid production increases significantly, which leads to reflux. Therefore, it is a good idea to engage in an activity that you find pleasurable after eating. This could range from meditation to something as simple as watching TV.
You must watch the type of foods you eat when it comes to your acid reflux. Reflux sufferers often have a trigger food that can really aggravate symptoms. Once you’ve identified your trigger foods, you can avoid them and start to feel better.
Chew cinnamon flavored gum after you eat. Chewing gum causes an increase in your saliva production. This will help neutralize acids in your stomach. Additionally, you will swallow more often while chewing gum, and this will remove any acid sitting in the esophagus. If you don’t like cinnamon, you can use fruit-flavored gums. Any gum that contains mint may have the effect of relaxing your esophageal sphincter, which exacerbates the condition.
Avoid overly restrictive clothing. Pantyhose, belts and bands around the waist can be the worst. These things will put added pressure on the stomach. This can cause acid reflux. Wear clothes that do not constrict you and that give your stomach room to breathe.
Also, try and keep those stress triggers contained. Stress is a major cause of producing too much stomach acid which can cause inflammation and heartburn. Find out what is causing your anxiety and eliminate it from your life immediately.
Eat smaller meals frequently. Eating fewer, larger meals can contribute to your acid reflux symptoms. When your stomach is full, it can cause a lot of pressure to build up making your acid reflux worse. The stomach acid can then get into the esophagus and cause heartburn. Eat a few small meals at intervals during each day.
Shed some pounds. Extra weight, especially around the middle, can increase acid reflux symptoms. The additional fat around the stomach increases pressure put on the stomach, increasing the chances of acid reflux. You can notice a significant improvement if you lose just a couple pounds.
If you have acid reflux, try to avoid possible trigger foods. Examples of problematic foods include those that are fried, spicy, and high in fat. Liquid culprits include those that are caffeinated, carbonated or alcoholic. The trigger foods are different for everyone, so you must identify yours.
You should not eat foods rich in fat. Fast food is one of the main culprits that you must avoid. Check out nutritional labels for fat content.
Staying active can help fight acid reflux. Low-impact exercises, including walking and swimming, can significantly help manage your acid reflux symptoms. Keep your body upright, so that you can digest properly.
Tempting as it may be, a diagnosis of acid reflux is best left to an actual doctor. If you believe you may have this condition due to symptoms, such as stomach discomfort and regurgitation, then you should talk to your doctor. There are many health conditions that mimic acid reflux. You can have tests run by your doctor so he or she can identify and diagnose acid reflux.
Do not eat within three hours of sleeping. If your regular bed time is 11 P.M., your last meal should be consumed by 8 P.M. The reason being that lying down on a full stomach puts extra pressure on the LES muscle. When you do that, you’ll have acid reflux flare ups.
Extra weight makes acid reflux worse, so work on losing weight. Being overweight can cause acid reflux. Additional pressure is put on your stomach when you are overweight; therefore, acid reflux is more likely to occur. You can get relief by losing a relatively small amount of weight.
Don’t smoke! Not only is smoking bad for your overall health, but it’s bad for your acid reflux, too. Smoking promotes stomach acid and helps to slow down your digestive process. Smoking will also decrease saliva production, further hindering digestion. Begin your smoking cessation program by putting off smoking for a couple of hours after you eat.
Acid reflux is a painful condition that affects millions of people. In fact, one-third of all adults have some form of it. The tips in this article can teach you how to control the condition.