Though your heart is not literally on fire, it can feel like it sometimes with one of the main symptoms of acid reflux disease which is heartburn and knowing how to stop acid reflux from taking a hold of your life is key and is possible. There are many behaviors that can lead to acid reflux disease and in order to prevent the development of this condition only 10 are discussed below.
What is Acid Reflux Disease?
In order to stop acid reflux, an understanding of this condition is necessary. While it can feel like your heart is burning, it is actually the esophagus that's on fire. The esophagus is the organ that transports the food eaten to the stomach which contains various industrial strength stomach acids that are a crucial part of the digestive process. These stomach acids are meant to stay in the stomach because the stomach lining is adequate enough to provide a cushion from being harmed by these acids. The esophagus does not have this protective lining.
Acid reflux disease occurs when the various stomach contents including these stomach acids come back up through the esophageal sphincter which is supposed to prevent the contents of the stomach from returning to the esophagus.
When one gets hit by acid reflux, the most common symptom is a burning feeling between the neck and the stomach. Most people usually feel this burning sensation below their breastbone. By far the easiest way to stop acid reflux is to pace yourself when eating. Do not eat to fast or too much but if you are experiencing the symptoms, here are steps to quench the fire.
10 Steps To Stop Acid Reflux
1. Milk contains properties that can help with neutralizing the acid and is one of the best ways to stop acid reflux disease.
2. Elevating your head will help protect your esophagus when you sleep from this reversal of the stomach contents by taking advantage of the gravitational pull that will keep food going down and not up. You may want to consider elevating the head of your bed about six inches with the help of various resources such as bricks or logs.
3. Avoid the couch for at least an hour after eating in order to stop acid reflux. Lying down on a couch with a full stomach will only increase your risk of developing this condition.
4. Do not overeat otherwise your stomach that contains too much food may be tempted to seek relief by reversing the digestive process for some of the food in the stomach. Avoid second helpings in order to stop acid reflux disease.
5. Pregnancy is one of the risk factors for the development of heartburn so be careful of what you eat and how much you eat. Following your doctor's directions on the diet to follow as well as the amount of weight you should gain is important. The eating for two mentality will only lead to you gaining weight in excess of your doctor's recommendations and increasing your risk of developing this condition. You only have one stomach and it is not a garbage bin just because one is pregnant.
6. In addition to pregnant women, everyone else should follow a proper diet that is low in fried foods, other fatty foods as well as spicy foods which may lead to acid reflux disease. Add more fiber and complex carbohydrates to your diet because these take longer to digest which will help stop acid reflux disease.
7. Smokers usually develop more heartburn than non smokers because of the nicotine present in cigarettes that irritates not only the lining of the stomach but the valve between the stomach and the esophagus. In order to stop acid reflux, consider quitting the habit.
8. Those who exercise on a regular basis and stay in shape are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. In order to stop acid reflux, consider an exercise regimen even if it is as simple as walking but make sure not to exercise immediately after a meal. Wait at least two hours.
9. Stress and poor stress management leads to the risk of developing various health problems including acid reflux, so learn how to reduce or eliminate the stress in your life.
10. Be careful of the painkillers you use as common types such as aspirin and ibuprofen can burn not only the stomach but the esophagus so consider switching to a painkiller containing acetaminophen.
By Terry Robbins
