I have had another weekend of eating and drinking and have not suffered from heartburn. By planning ahead and knowing I was going out for food and drink I took my acid reflux medication in the morning on the days I was going out. But today I am back on the straight and narrow and am back off the medication. I hope by this method I can stop acid reflux symptoms before they happen.
To treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, GERD for short one of the easiest ways is with lifestyle changes. This is what I am doing at the moment and it seems to be working. By changing your routine, mainly what you eat and the way you eat it the results can have major benefits to the amount of heartburn you get.
One of the many changes and easiest of changes to your routine is at night. Due to the effects of gravity acid reflux does the most damage at night when we lie down. In a lying position it is much easier for stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus. And in addition due to the effects of gravity the refluxed contents can flow further up the esophagus and even into the throat and mouth. I know in the past when this has happened to me I feel like I am choking and this can last for many hours. So the possibility of acid reflux doing damage is much greater at night.
One thing you can do to combat this is with positional therapy by elevating your upper body in bed. You can either put blocks under the bed at the headboard end, or you can purchase a wedge pillow which will also elevate you. Another method is with what is called a bed wedge which is placed under your mattress and can be inflated or deflated automatically to elevate you to the correct position. Another more luxurious but also more costly item is an electric adjustable bed. But because we spend about 1/3 our lives in bed this may be a good solution for some people. By using one of these methods you are raising the elevation of your upper torso and taking gravity out of the equation, and not just raising your head.
Also at night you should eat at least 2 to three hours before going to be to allow your food to digest. This is also the same during the day when you should not lie down after a meal.
Other small changes to your eating habits should include eating smaller meals which helps your stomach digesting larger meals takes much longer and produces a lot more acid. Also chew your food properly before swallowing as the digestion starts in the mouth.
Eating on the run and under stress also contributes to acid reflux. Try to avoid fast foods which are high in fat and processed foods. There are quite a few foods that are known to aggravate acid reflux. Try to avoid them. Examples are chocolate, citrus fruits peppermint, drinks like caffeine irritate the stomach lining and alcohol stimulates acid production. You can try antacids for a while although they are effective for only a short while, but they do stop the production of stomach acid. But they should not be taken on a frequent basis as they do have side effects.
Other lifestyle changes you can include if they apply are taking some exercise, loosing weight, not wearing tight clothing, and stopping smoking
If you have heartburn or acid reflux on a regular basis you should see your doctor. They will be able to determine whether you have GERD or not, and can provide you with the appropriate action to take. They may even know a few natural cures for acid reflux.
