Tips to Relieve Disturbing Acid Reflux and Heartburn

If you often have heartburn, you probably have GERD. Heartburn is a common symptom of acid reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). It is a painful or burning feeling on the chest or underneath the breastbone. GERD or acid reflux is a condition where there are abnormalities in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the muscle at the lower end of the esophagus that opens to allow food to enter the stomach and closes to prevent the stomach acid to flow back up in the esophagus.

For people with GERD, this muscle does not close properly causing the stomach acid and food to travel back up into the esophagus resulting to painful burning feeling or heartburn. This condition should not be taken lightly because the lining of the esophagus cannot tolerate stomach acid and frequent heartburn could result to scarring and bleeding. Untreated GERD or delayed treatment could damage the lining of the esophagus. It is important to consult your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. It is important to know how to relieve disturbing acid reflux to get rid of disturbing heartburn or the painful burning feeling in your chest area to feel better. The following tips can be very helpful:

Medications. Your doctor may recommend medicines to ease your disturbing acid reflux and heartburn. Your doctor may recommend antacids to deal with the acid in your stomach, this can be bought over the counter but it is best to see your doctor before starting the medications.  It is important to take medications under the supervision of your doctor and stick with the treatment plan religiously to prevent your condition from getting worse. Disturbing acid reflux could result to more serious esophagus health problems that could be life-threatening.

Elevated sleeping position. Heartburn becomes more painful when you lie down flat and one way to ease up disturbing acid reflux is to sleep in elevated position. This cannot be achieved by just using stack of pillows but the best way is to elevate the head of your bed by putting 6-8 inches woodblocks or bricks under your bedpost. If your head is higher than your stomach, acid on your stomach can be prevented from traveling back up to your esophagus.

Food avoidance. To relieve disturbing acid reflux you have to modify your diet. There are certain foods that aggravate or trigger acid reflux like fatty foods, deep fried foods, spicy foods, curry, chocolates, coffee or caffeinated drinks, alcoholic drinks, carbonated beverages, citrus fruits, juices, tomatoes or tomato-based products and pepper so you must avoid them to stop suffering from disturbing acid reflux.  Heartburn caused by acid reflux becomes more painful after eating so it is best to modify your eating habits. Eat foods in small portion and eat slowly. Instead of eating big meals, eat frequent small meals. Avoid eating dinner 3-4 hours before bedtime because acid reflux may happen if you lie down with a full stomach.

Lifestyle change. There are certain habits that could trigger acid reflux like smoking so it is best to stop smoking if you want to relieve your disturbing acid reflux. Smoking contributes to a number of diseases including digestive health problems. Nicotine weakens the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. When this muscle weakens, it could work abnormally or may fail to close causing the stomach acid to escape upwards in the esophagus. Smoking is not a healthy habit, starting to quit now will not only save you from acid reflux but it will make your overall health better.

Lose weight. Obesity increases a person’s risk of acid reflux attacks. Increased weight increases the pressure in the stomach and this increased pressure causes the stomach contents and acid to be pushed back up in the esophagus. Losing weight could remedy this problem. Getting rid of your excess weight will not only relieve you from disturbing acid reflux but it can also improve your overall health and self-image.

Mind what you wear.  Avoid clothes and belts that are too tight on the stomach area. Tight-fitting clothes could add pressure on the stomach and could trigger acid reflux. Wear comfortable loose-fitting clothes. If you are worried about your self-image and you want to look sexy, squeezing your stomach with tight-fitting clothes is not the answer. There are a lot of comfortable clothing styles that can make you look good without putting too much pressure on your stomach.

Surgery is an option when medications and lifestyle modifications failed to ease disturbing acid reflux and heartburn. If you are hesitant to go under the knife, natural treatments are another option that you could explore. To know more visit Heartburn No More