Anyone may experience occasional indigestion and acid reflux after overindulging in spicy pizza or greasy onion rings. That’s the unpleasant and often painful condition when stomach acid and food travel up the esophagus. But if you get heartburn once a week or more often, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease, a chronic type of acid reflux (GERD). If you are dealing with Anchorage acid reflux, you may want to look into seeing a specialist in the field. They have quick-acting drugs, long-term therapies, or both to aid with your acid reflux.
Meanwhile, there are some easy measures you may take to reduce your symptoms. If you suffer from acid reflux, you may be able to lessen or perhaps get rid of the symptoms by making the following modifications to your daily routine.
Dress loosely
Tight clothing has been linked to acid reflux because the pressure it creates on the stomach may force digestive juices back up into the esophagus. You might try wearing garments that aren’t as tight around the midsection.
Take your time and eat moderately
Calorie and fat intake are significant factors in GERD. According to studies, foods with more than 500 calories or 20 grams of fat may aggravate reflux.
Refrain from eating certain foods
Once upon a time, those diagnosed with acid reflux were told only to eat the blandest of meals. However, that is no longer accurate. Humans have come a long way from being forced to consume only plants. However, certain foods, including mint, fats, spices, tomatoes, onions, garlic, caffeine, chocolate, and alcohol, are more prone to cause reflux than others. If you routinely consume any of these items, you may want to try going without them to see if it helps with your reflux and then introduce them back in gradually.
Sleep on your left side
In many studies, sleep on one’s right side has been linked to increased nighttime reflux symptoms. There is some evidence that sleeping on your left side might reduce esophageal acid exposure by as much as 71%. Although the exact cause is unclear, anatomical considerations may play a role.
On the right side of the stomach is where the esophagus connects. So, when you lay on your left side to sleep, your lower esophageal sphincter is elevated above the stomach acid. However, lying on one’s right side increases the likelihood of reflux because stomach acid covers the lower esophageal sphincter. Even if you can’t sleep on your left side all night, you could find it more convenient to get to sleep.
Lose some weight
There are several benefits to shedding some weight if you’re overweight. However, lowering weight may alleviate acid reflux symptoms if you are overweight and have them. To begin, a hiatal hernia, which occurs when the upper portion of the stomach protrudes beyond the diaphragm, is a common cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and being overweight increases the risk of this condition. Secondly, medical research conducted in 2012 found that GERD symptoms decreased directly to the weight that patients dropped. In particular, acid reflux symptoms improved for women who dropped 5-10% of their body weight and males who lost 10%.
Untreated GERD has been linked to more significant complications down the road, including esophageal cancer. It would help if you discussed your symptoms with your primary care physician to determine the best course of action. While no one has discovered a solution yet, you can control symptoms via diet, exercise, and medication.