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Seven Great Tips to Reduce Acid Reflux Symptoms

By: Fallon Cullerne

Our overall health can be influenced by lifestyle choices to a surprising degree. Acid reflux is one of those areas, and if your doctor has diagnosed this condition, you will want to investigate how you can control the symptoms as much as possible to live more comfortably. The disease won't easily go away, unfortunately, but its effects can be tamed and sometimes prevented by making a few lifestyle changes. The following seven tips are a great place to start.

1. Eat Smaller Meals

If you typically eat three big meals a day, try adjusting your schedule to taking six small daily meals instead. This can help to prevent you from overeating. When your stomach gets too full, there is an increased amount of gastric pressure. Overeating is a major cause of acid reflux flare-ups, so stick to smaller meals and give your stomach a break. Eating more slowly can also help to reduce your discomfort.

2. Avoid Snacks at Bedtime

Don't eat or drink anything for at least two hours before going to bed. If you typically take an afternoon nap, try doing it in a chair. Lying down on a full stomach will cause the contents of your stomach to press against the lower esophagus, increasing the chances of acid reflux.

3. Choose Foods Carefully

There are many common beverages and foods that can trigger acid reflux. They do so either by increasing acid production and gastric pressure, or by relaxing the lower esophagus muscle. Obviously, foods that trigger heartburn in you should be avoided. These foods vary, but for many people, spicy foods, citrus fruits and juices, and coffee can cause irritation in the esophagus lining. Avoid eating these foods for dinner, to reduce the chances of heartburn at night. If you are unsure which foods tend to cause heartburn for you, keep a heartburn record for a week or two to help keep track of foods you need to avoid.

4. Avoid Smoking or Alcohol

Another smart step in reducing acid reflux is avoiding alcohol consumption. Alcohol has two problems: it creates stomach acid, and relaxes the muscle of the lower esophagus. When relaxed, that muscle can allow stomach contents to reflux back into the esophagus. Consuming very small amounts of alcohol might be okay, but keep an eye on your reactions. And stop smoking as soon as you can if you have digestion problems. Along with dozens of other health concerns, smoking stimulates production of stomach acid, and of course that leads to greater acid reflux symptoms.

5. Sleep Smart

The acid in your gut responds to gravity, so keeping your head higher than your waist will help to some degree in keeping the acid down. You might want to purchase a big, wedge-shaped pillow, which will help elevate your shoulders and head. Some people also purchase an adjustable bed, which allows them to incline the head of the bed. A cheaper (though slightly risky) alternative is to prop up your current bed's legs.

6. Stay Comfortable

Tight-fitting clothing will constrict the area around your stomach. As a result of this squeezing action, the food in your stomach is forced up against the lower esophagus, and acid reflux will likely occur. Choose comfortable clothes with loose or adjustable waistlines.

7. Relax

Researchers are unsure about the relationship between heartburn and stress. However, stress may be a factor in acid reflux disease, especially as a precursor. Regardless, reducing stress may help people to also reduce the likelihood that they will turn to comfort foods or drinks that will cause heartburn.

Some health conditions aren't caused by a single factor; they're the result of many factors making up one big problem. Trying various lifestyle changes can add up to big relief from chronic acid reflux.

Article Source: http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-articles

Author Fallon Cullerne enjoys writing for several web sites, on alternative health care as well as health product topics.
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