How to Manage Acid Reflux with Dieting and Lifestyle Changes
Acid reflux is a chronic condition caused by stomach acid entering your oesophagus. It can be very painful, dangerous, and and cause heartburn. This condition should be treated with medication. However, managing acid reflux also involve making changed to your diet and lifestyle habits. Because the condition is caused by stomach acid, you might want to eat and drink in a manner that doesn’t cause your stomach to overproduce acid. Acid reflex, if left unchecked, can develop into gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a more severe version of acid reflux. Here are several tips that will help you manage your condition with a low-acid diet and good habits:
Take Antacids When Needed
The best way to reduce stomach acid quickly is to take antacids. These are available over-the-counter. Antacids can reduce stomach acid production or presence in a less than an hour. Consult with your doctor about taking antacids to prevent reflux between meals, especially in the mornings.
Drink High pH Water
The regular tap water you drink is neither acidic nor basic. It has a ph level of 7, indicating neutral. But you can further reduce the acidic content in your whole body by drinking alkaline water, which has a pH level around 8. This type of water is associated with many benefits, including a great possibility to reduce heartburn and other effects of acid reflux. Therefore, consider switching to be on a low-acid beverage diet.
Know What Foods to Avoid
Some foods are highly acidic and promote acid formation in the body. It’s important to know what these are. You can avoid these foods altogether or strictly control intake. Citrus foods, caffeine, chocolate, fatty meats, garlic and onions, ginger, spicy food, and mint are well-known forms of acidic foods. Yes, mint is included here, even if the food can leave you feeling comfortably cool. Don’t chew gum with mint to make your pain less intense because mint will only promote more stomach acid production.
Stop Drinking Alcohol and Smoking
Among the many ill effects of alcohol and tobacco is the ability of these substances to increase the acid content in your stomach. If you are a smoker or a drinker, your acid reflux conditions can become severe or even life-threatening quite fast. Therefore, if you suffer from acid reflux, avoid these substances altogether. Find something less acidic to chew on to control your cravings.
Don’t Eat Right Before Bedtime
This is what happens when you eat. Once a meal enters your stomach, it starts producing stomach acid to neutralise any germs present in the food. This process takes effects immediate after eating and can last up to 4 hours. When you have acid reflux, this is risky as you can get a reflux soon after eating. But you may not suffer following daytime meals, because you are sitting upright, causing physical challenges to acid reflux. But if you right before going to bed, you are putting yourself at serious risk because of stomach acid production and the laying down position. Therefore, don’t eat 3 to 4 hours right before bed.
Follow the above tips to manage and control your condition in a practical and effective manner.