Treating Acid Reflux -- Useful Tips And Strategies

If acid reflux has bothered you before, you understand its harmful potential. This problem can make it difficult to live a normal life. There are some things that can help keep acid reflux at bay. The following information will teach you what you must know about acid reflux.

Slow down! When you eat more slowly, your body is able to keep up with what is being deposited in your stomach. This means that it will know that it is full when it truly is full, and you will eat less. If you overeat, you'll find your acid reflux goes crazy.

Never skip a meal if you have acid reflux disease. When you skip even one meal, you are not putting anything into your stomach, allowing acid to intensify. If you do not feel hungry during a meal time, you could always eat a little something, like a banana or apple.

Always keep gravity in mind. Remember that acid is being held down, so when you position your body in a way where down isn't towards your feet, problems will ensue. Keep your head up and your stomach uncompressed, then you should be able to find relief from acid reflux all day long.

Learn your trigger foods. When you know what foods or beverages cause you acid reflux, you can avoid them to keep your symptoms to a minimum. Some foods that often cause symptoms are foods that are fried, fatty, spicy and carbonated drinks. These are just some examples and what bothers someone else, might not bother you.

There are certain foods that trigger acid reflux. Therefore, it's in your best interest to avoid these if possible. One example is chocolate. While dark chocolate doesn't appear to be as bad as high-fat milk chocolate, they both contain caffeine and cocoa, which are both known to cause acid reflux.

What you drink will affect your acid reflux just as much as what you eat. Anything with caffeine should be avoided. In addition, carbonated beverages will cause you to have issues, as will alcohol. Be mindful of what you consume, and try to stick with water whenever possible if you want to be on the safe side.

Try to keep yourself elevated when going to bed. Sometimes it could be enough to just add a pillow or two to help you. However, sometimes you may need to have pillows or cushions set up to help you sleep in a sitting position. You might also want to consider sleeping in a recliner on some of your bad days.

If you are overweight, try shedding some pounds. Being overweight can increase the severity of your acid reflux. This occurs because excess body fat can increase the pressure in your stomach and cause your lower esophageal sphincter muscle to relax, which causes food to come up. Lose weight and watch your acid reflux improve.

Try to eat smaller meals if you suffer from acid reflux. Sitting and eating large meals can contribute to the pain associated with acid reflux. Eating smaller meals will reduce the amount of acid your stomach has to produce to digest your food. This means that your stomach will work less and you will not have as much pain.

Stop smoking. Smoking can cause the muscles that control the esophageal sphincter between the stomach and esophagus to relax. When this happens, stomach acid can escape from the stomach and into your esophagus, causing that familiar burning sensation. If you are a smoker and frequently get bouts of heartburn, it may be time to quit or at least reduce your habit.

After reading the above article, you should know how to relieve your acid reflux. With just a bit of education along with some fortitude, acid reflux can be a thing of the past. Use the steps in this article to take control and get your life back on track.