If you have ever experienced the symptoms of acid reflux, you’ll understand how nasty it can be. Acid reflux occurs when acid from your stomach rises up into your esophagus, which is the tube that connects your throat and stomach. Heartburn is the most common symptom of acid reflux, manifesting itself as a burning sensation in your chest. This is why people experiencing acid reflux for the first time often mistake it for a heart attack.
Acid reflux has many causes and triggers, so there isn’t any universal cure. There are a number of different ones reflux medication available, so if you are looking to relieve symptoms, it is worth looking at your eating habits and lifestyle to determine the cause. From there, you can take action to stop the effect from recurring in the future.
To get started, here are four tips for preventing acid reflux.
Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight is probably the most common triggers for acid reflux. Your best bet for symptom relief is to try and maintain a healthy body mass index. Eating a nutritious diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables will help, as will regular exercise. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day is more than enough to experience the health benefits.
Eliminate food triggers
For most people with acid reflux, there are specific foods that make it worse. Foods that are too spicy, sour, fatty, or greasy are more likely than others to cause reflux and heartburn. It may take a little trial and error to find out which foods are bad for you, so experiment with cutting out different foods from your diet to see if there’s a noticeable improvement.
Eat slowly and eat less
Eating large amounts of food is among the worst things you can do if you have acid reflux. When your stomach is full, more acid will be carried back up into the esophagus so you can handle it by eating moderately. Put less food on your plate and eat slowly, taking time to appreciate and enjoy your food. Eat mindfully is a wonderful practice to help you control your eating habits and slow down.
Change your sleeping position
Sometimes acid reflux has nothing to do with your eating habits, and can be caused by an improper sleeping position. If your head is not barely higher than your body, it can make it easier for acid to travel up your throat, which may explain why you regularly feel heartburn at night. Your head should ideally be 6 to 8 inches above your feet, and you can achieve this through strategic use of pillows, foam wedge support for your upper body, or even adding steps to the foot of your bed.
It may take time to determine what’s causing your acid reflux, but once you determine it, you will have the ability to eliminate triggers and stop painful symptoms in the future.
