Acid reflux is a frustrating condition that impacts the lives of many. The best way to manage the symptoms of acid reflux and lessen the pain that often results is to study as much as possible about the topic. The information that follows below is intended to provide you with a strong knowledge based from which to work.
When eating, never lie down! It is important that you sit in a sturdy chair with good posture. Allow your stomach to be decompressed and your esophagus to be fully extended. As you eat, enjoy every bite of your food so that you eat slowly and chew fully, then you may avoid acid reflux afterward.
The way you sit after eating can affect acid reflux and can keep it from traveling up your esophagus. After eating, try to remain sitting upright for around two to three hours before lying down. If you’re having problems when you lay down later, prop your head up about six inches.
When you are done eating a meal, prevent acid reflux by chewing on some gum. More saliva is produced when you chew some gum. The more saliva that is produced during digestion, the less acid is produced, in turn, preventing acid reflux from occurring. Ideally, you should chew on sugar-free gum.
Contracting the abdominal muscles can make food that is in your stomach to make its way back into the esophagus. This is why you need to wait until at least one hour after eating before you attempt to do any physical exercise. You should also avoid any other types of physical exertion directly after meals.
Avoid eating large quantities of food that contain a lot of acid. This may cause you to experience heartburn and other acid reflux symptoms. These foods include grapefruit, vinegar, lemons and tomatoes. If you are going to eat these foods, make sure that you are very mindful of the portion size.
There are certain foods that tend to cause symptoms in people that suffer from acid reflux. You should partake of these foods infrequently. Some of the foods you should eliminate from your diet include carbonated beverages, fried foods, high fat foods, fruit juices, tomato sauces and beverages, coffee, or any hot beverage.
Consume smaller meals to help control your acid reflux problems. When you over stuff yourself during a meal, it can often lead to uncomfortable digestive upset, including acid reflux. Instead, consider eating several small meals a day, and always stop eating as soon as you begin to feel satisfied.
Avoid Certain Foods. Some foods are more likely to trigger acid reflux than others. These include caffeine, spicy food, alcohol, tomatoes, chocolate, and any foods that are acidic in nature. If you frequently suffer from acid reflux, consider eliminating these foods from your diet, or at least try not to eat them in the hours before you go to bed.
Try some natural ways to reduce the effects of acid reflux in your body. There are lots of medications that you can take to help with your acid reflux, but why take them if you can control it naturally? Try to eat foods that are alkaline. Foods such as milk, bananas, almonds, tofu and avocados are all alkaline foods.
If your acid reflux is severe, then the importance of not lying flat on your back cannot be stressed enough. Therefore, whenever you sleep, you need to keep your entire upper body slightly elevated. You cannot just add more pillows to lay your head on because this just elevates your head, which is not enough. Place wooden blocks or bricks underneath your mattress can significantly help in relieving your acid reflux symptoms.
When you have acid reflux disease it can be difficult to eat foods that are acidic such as tomato sauce and salsa. If you have been steering clear of these foods out of fear of discomfort, you no longer have to avoid them altogether. Taking an antacid prior to eating these types of foods can help you avoid experiencing acid reflux.
If you suffer from acid reflux and are pregnant, do your best to learn what caused it. It may be something as simple as avoiding water after 7 pm. If you can find what is the common cause, you can help keep it at bay.
If you are at risk of acid reflux, don’t exercise too vigorously. An intense workout can aggravate the digestive track and increase the likelihood of reflux after meals. Walking is the perfect way to keep fit and reduce or maintain a healthy body weight to further reduce the risk of acid reflux. Start slowly if you are not used to regular exercise.
The pain and suffering caused by acid reflux cannot be overstated. In order to get a good handle on the condition and keep symptoms and pain to a minimum, it is necessary to learn everything you can about it. Review the above material as often as necessary in order to get your condition well in hand.
