How To Manage Acid Reflux

Acid Reflux is a pretty common condition, it’s that “burning sensation”, usually referred to as heartburn, that you may feel after a meal. For some people managing this is as easy as occasionally taking a tums but for others the condition can become increasingly cumbersome for them.

If this is you, you may feel like your life is controlled by acid reflux. That you are losing sleep over it. It may even get so bad that you feel like it has eaten away at your stomach lining so much that you cant seem to eat anything without getting it.

Learn to take control over your acid reflux using the tips discussed here.

6 Tips on How to Manage Your Acid Reflux

Learning how to manage your acid reflux and heartburn can make all the difference. Here are six helpful tips on how to do just that!

1. Eat dinner a minimum of three hours before bedtime

The acid from the foods that you’ve eaten stay in your stomach when you are awake and upright. Lying in a prone position allows acid to travel upwards. For this reason it is a good idea to wait at lease three hours before going to bed after a large meal to minimize the change of getting hit with acid reflux when trying to fall asleep.

2. Avoid Fatty Foods

Fatty foods are a serious no-no for reflux sufferers. These foods can cause more acid to enter your esophagus. Also, they cause weight gain; thus, the reason people who are overweight often also suffer from acid reflux.

Eat better and feel better!

3. Manage Stress

Acid reflux can also be caused by stress. Stress produces more acid inside your stomach than is normally there. Therefore, you should do your best to relax while eating and after each meal.

Ways to manage stress and get into a more relaxed state of mind include meditation, yoga, reading a book, or even just watching a calming show on netflix. Find what option works best for you and incorporate it into your post-meal routine.

4. Practice Good Posture

Always remain in an upright position while eating and in the two to three hours following each meal. Lying down or reclining just serves to bring acid back up the esophagus. You can find relief by remaining in a standing or seated position.

If you have acid reflux avoid lying down right after you eat. That’s because lying down after a meal can make digestion more difficult, resulting in acid reflux. You will feel better and avoid acid reflux by staying upright.

5. Use Throat Lozenges

Acid Reflux and Heartburn got you down? Give lozenges a try.

The main ingredient in most lozenges, slippery elm bark, will coat your digestive system with a protective layer. Additionally, lozenges will help relieve your coughing and soothe your irritated throat. These are very easy to find, as you can pick them up at your local health store.

6. Avoid Trigger Foods

If you suffer from acid reflux, avoid foods that may trigger it. There are some foods that are known to trigger acid reflux. Some examples of these foods are spicy, fried, or fatty foods as well as citrus fruits, caffeine, alcohol, mints or items that have mint flavoring, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and carbonated beverages.

Find which foods trigger your acid reflux by paying attention to what you eat and taking note of how it makes you feel, if you are able to identify a specific trigger food for you you can avoid that food.

Alkaline levels and acid forming tendencies in food have little to do with PH levels. Foods that seem acidic, such as lemons, are really alkaline after digestion. This can be confusing if you are suffering from acid reflux. However, if you have acid reflux, you need to educate yourself on food PH levels.

Having acid reflux can make it difficult for you to eat some of the foods you love, including spaghetti and pizza. When a tomato sauce is involved, consider adding some sugar to cut the acid. The sauce will be a tad sweeter, but you will be able to eat it without the pain.

In Extreme Cases Surgery May Be an Option

If you find that none of the previous 6 tips to manage acid reflux work for you then you may have to look into more involved options such as surgery.

Consult with a physician about the possibility of surgery if you feel you can no longer handle acid reflux. The surgical procedure to combat chronic acid reflux is for the surgeon to create a new stomach valve to eliminate acid from going into your esophagus. This treatment is permanent.

Find out more about surgery as an option for chronic heartburn here.

In Conclusion

With these 6 tips you will hopefully be able to manage your acid reflux and never need to get surgery to deal with the problem, in most cases surgery is not required so hopefully I didn’t scare you too much by bringing it up.

Work hard to follow the 6 tips listed here and your acid reflux problem may be a thing of the past in no time.