Do you wince when you contemplate having an orange? What about the thought of laying down after you eat? You may be suffering from acid reflux. Continue reading to learn how to avoid acid reflux.
Fatty foods produce bad acid reflux results. Fatty foods cause acid to flow in the wrong direction. They also cause you to put on weight, and overweight people have a tough time with acid reflux. Learn to make good nutritional choices.
Stop smoking if you want to get rid of acid reflux. Smoking can worsen or even cause acid reflux. Smoking slows down digestion and increases stomach acid, along with reducing saliva production. It causes the esophageal sphincter to relax as well. For this reason, you must stop it now.
Eliminate hot and spicy foods from your diet. These ingredients stimulate acid production, which cause your problem to become more pronounced. You can find relief by minimizing your intake of these food items.
It is important to stay upright while you eat and for two or three hours after you eat as well. Lying down can force acid back up into your esophagus. As long as you sit up or stand up, you’ll find that your esophagus feels better.
Reflux may feel painful enough to trick you into thinking you are suffering from a heart attack. You should not be ignoring chest pains at any time. This may be a heart attack. Talk to a doctor to learn about what to do. Following your own unprofessional diagnosis could lead to serious problems.
Raise up your bed to where your top half is higher up. You can do this by putting a brick under the headboard. You can also prop your head up with pillows. Aim to have the head of the bed six inches higher when compared to the foot. You can prevent stomach acid from staying in your esophagus by elevating your chest and head.
Treat your acid reflux symptoms by hydrating yourself. Try to consume at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water can help keep you hydrated. Water also facilitates digestion. You decrease and dilute your stomach acid by increasing your water intake.
If you suffer with acid reflux, don’t lay down after eating. When laying down, the digestive tract can have problems with what you eat. By staying upright, you can avoid acid from going into your esophagus.
Try a simple exercise like walking to keep you upright. This type of exercise helps to reduce your acid reflux in several ways. Initially, standing up can help the digestion process. Exercising also promotes weight loss which will help your acid reflux. Moderate exercise is okay when you have acid reflux, but intense exercise can be detrimental.
When you suffer from acid reflux it is always best to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Eating just a couple large meals makes it more likely that you will suffer from acid reflux symptoms. If your stomach is too full, it will exert pressure on the sphincter that separates the esophagus and the stomach. This will cause acid reflux. The excess stomach acids will enter the esophagus, and the result will be heartburn. Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead.
If you’re pregnant, the baby may be pushing on your stomach causing acid reflux. Speak with a physician in order to identify a treatment path, particularly if your pregnancy is rather far along.
You need to learn how pH levels in foods affect your acid reflux. Foods that are acidic such as lemons are really highly alkaline when digestion occurs. You might be confused by this if you have acid reflux. Find out more about the actual pH of the foods you usually eat to figure out which ones you should stay away from.
Try to relax. Avoid eating when you are under stress as this will surely lead to heartburn. After eating, try to relax with deep breathing or meditation. Avoid laying down after eating and wait at least three hours before going to bed.
Make sure you do not eat during the three hours prior to getting into bed. For instance, if you hit the sack at 11, you should be eating your last meal before 8. If you lay down and your stomach is full, your LES muscle will have more pressure on it. This pushes acid up into your throat.
Give yourself at least three hours after eating dinner before you hit the sack. It is important to allow this time because sleep slows down the digestion process. Heartburn is very likely to occur if you eat immediately prior to bedtime.
Now that you have read this piece, you know what should and should not be avoided when it comes to acid reflux. The changes that must be made to your diet should be visible. You are now more knowledgeable on how to live a better life without acid reflux. Start soon, and get back on the track to feeling better again.