For those who suffer from heartburn, they might be surprised to learn that getting relief could be as easy as making a few lifestyle changes. Read on for a few ideas to stop heartburn in its tracks.
A lot of individuals experience heartburn during the nighttime. However, simply by cutting back on bedtime snacks, you’ll be able to get considerable relief. Aim to keep from eating for at least two hours before you go to bed. This can be difficult for all you late-night snackers. But keep in mind that you won’t have a restful night if you give in to temptation.
What you eat is just as important as when you eat it. Foods that are high in acid, such as alcohol, tomato products, coffee and citrus juices can all trigger a bad case of heartburn. Sometimes even an apparently harmless food can lead to excess acid production in the stomach. Spicy foods or those that are high in fat are frequent triggers of heartburn.
Restricting the quantity of food you consume is another consideration in staving off severe heartburn symptoms. This involves restricting your portion sizes at each meal. Food is sent back up the esophagus when your stomach is too full. And since it’s already absorbed some of the acids in your stomach, it fuels that burning pain in your chest.
Overweight people can benefit by losing some of their body fat. If they do so, a number of heartburn sufferers experience a reduction in their symptoms. Oftentimes they experience decreased pressure on the stomach, which leaves more room for the digestion process. So it isn’t as likely to be sent back up the esophagus.
From time to time you might indulge yourself too much, and with the wrong foods. When you do, it’s essential that you sit or stand erect rather than lying down. This will help to hold the food in your stomach, away from your esophagus, and hasten the digestion process.
Heartburn sufferers who are overweight aren’t the only ones who should make more beneficial lifestyle choices. Individuals who smoke are also more inclined to this condition. The esophagus muscles of those who smoke aren’t as efficient. Therefore they’re less able to prevent the undigested food in your stomach from making its way back up. Also, the chemicals that smokers ingest make their stomach acids even more toxic. Every drag on a cigarette ups your risk of triggering heartburn.
Don’t forget that lifestyle modifications might not be the ultimate fix for more severe heartburn. There are those who will still need to visit their doctor to find relief.
Tags: Acid Reflux, GERD, heartburn, heartburn prevention, heartburn treatment, indigestion