The burning pain that resides between your chest, which often shoots up to your throat, can be easily avoided.
Acid reflux happens when stomach contents rise into your esophagus causing symptoms like acidic taste in the back of your mouth, heartburn, bad breath, chest pain, vomiting, and decaying teeth. If left untreated, complications like esophagitis can emerge.
Prescription medication and calcium carbonate tablets have been found to provide heartburn relief, but like the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Here are 8 simple ways to prevent acid reflux without having to take any medication.
1. Don't Lie Down After Eating
Gravity really helps to keep your acid reflux at bay. When you eat a meal, wait at least three hours before lying down. But if you must lie down, elevate your bed or resting area using pillows.
2. Avoid These Foods
High fat, spicy, and acidic foods are notorious for causing acid reflux. If you're getting heartburn more often that usual, make sure you eliminate foods like citrus fruit, mint, chocolate, onions, caffeinated beverages, and carbonated drinks.
3. Add These Foods To Your Diet
Now that you know what not to eat, here are some foods that you should be eating more of. Ginger, bananas, yogurt, green vegetables, oatmeal, and even chewing gum have been found to combat uncomfortable acid.
You probably had no clue about these next simple methods to prevent acid reflux!
4. Don't Wear Tight Clothes
Clothes that constrict your stomach may be causing or contributing to your acid reflux (and stomach pain.)
5. Drink Less Alcohol
Alcohol can cause the muscles in your esophagus to spasm, so cut back on the booze for a while to relax your stomach.
6. Try To Lose Weight (Or Don't Gain Weight)
Did you know that obesity is the leading cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease? The extra stomach fat places a lot of pressure on your stomach, which causes gastric juices to push up into your esophagus.
7. Stop Smoking
Like alcohol, smoking affects the muscles in your esophagus. Studies have found that nicotine can interfere with your saliva's ability to clear acid out of the esophagus.
8. Reduce Your Stress
Most people say their acid reflux is triggered when they are stressed out. If this is the case for you, try engaging in activities that lower your stress levels.