Acid reflux, commonly called heartburn, is caused when digestive acids flow up from the stomach and into the esophagus. The esophagus, located in the heart region of the chest, becomes irritated with a burning sensation.
There are lesser known symptoms other than heartburn for acid reflux as well: burping, gas, bloating, flatulence and even apparently unrelated symptoms such as chronic dry coughing, sour or bitter mouth between meals, trouble swallowing, hoarseness, and wheezing.
Many people take over-the-counter antacids for a quick ease of acid reflux, but for most people, a proper diet is the best solution for overcoming acid reflux.
Acid Reflux Suggestions
- Stay away from foods that you know will give you heartburn. The specific triggers differ from person to person.
- Eat small, frequent meals instead of three big meals a day. Smaller portions exert less workload on the stomach, and therefore require less acid secretion for digestion.
- Avoid late night eating. Don’t eat before bed; give yourself 2 hours before lying down.
- Avoid high-fat meals or deep-fried foods. High fat foods will remain in the stomach longer, causing the need for more stomach acid in order to digest them.
- Don’t overeat! Eating too much of any foods will stimulate the stomach to secret more acids for digestion.
- Weight Loss. Being overweight is a major contributor to heartburn. Overweight individuals are twice as likely to suffer from symptoms of reflux as are people of a healthy weight. Extra weight may increase pressure on the stomach, causing the LES muscle to relax, which allows stomach backflow. Body fat may also release chemicals that interfere with normal digestive functioning. Research shows losing even a small amount of weight can help relieve symptoms and control heartburn.
- Limit beverages during meals. Liquids add to the volume of food in your stomach and increases stomach distension. A full belly puts more pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the muscle that normally prevents food from moving back up into your esophagus, and thus adds to your risk of reflux. To minimize stomach volume, take small sips of water while you eat, and try to drink mostly between rather than during meals.
- Avoid or limit alcohol.
- Sleep position affects reflux. When you are upright, any acid that splashes up into your lower esophagus must fight gravity and will eventually fall back down into your stomach. Being upright makes reflux less likely to occur and lessens the time that acid is in contact with the delicate lining of the esophagus.
2 simple solutions to lessen acid reflux at night.
- Elevate the head of your bed. This puts your esophagus higher than your stomach – using gravity to lessen reflux.
- If elevating the head of your bed is not convenient or uncomfortable, try sleeping on your left side. The esophagus enters the top of the stomach on the right side so when you lie on your left side, the acid pool is much lower than the opening of the esophagus.
Milk Doesn’t Work for Acid Reflux
Milk may initially soothe but ends up causing more reflux. Milk has a rebound action and eventually encourages the secretion of more stomach acid.