Acid reflux occurs when the sphincter muscle at the lower end of your esophagus relaxes at the wrong time, allowing stomach acid to back up into your esophagus. This can cause heartburn and other signs and symptoms. Frequent or constant reflux can lead to GERD.
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Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a chronic digestive condition that can be painful and annoying. It occurs when the valve between your stomach and esophagus isn’t working properly. Instead of remaining shut, this valve remains open too often and allows stomach acid to flow back into your throat, causing you to feel like there’s a fire in your chest when you have acid reflux. A major cause of acid reflux is having an acidic stomach environment due to overproduction of gastric juices or increased production of natural acids in the stomach. Those who are overweight or obese are more prone to developing acid reflux because excess fat around the abdominal area puts pressure on the stomach, making it difficult for food to leave it in a timely fashion. This article will cover all you need to know about reducing your chances of getting acid reflux so you can get off your medication and stop suffering from this irritating condition.
Don’t Smoke & Eat Right
Smoking and eating a high-acid diet can aggravate the symptoms of acid reflux and make it more likely to happen. A diet high in sugar and fat can make your stomach more acidic, causing the reflux to occur more often. Smoking, meanwhile, can relax the valve that is supposed to protect your esophagus from stomach acid, making it easier for this acid to leak back into your body. To avoid these issues, you must eat a healthy diet and avoid tobacco at all costs.
Lose Weight
Being overweight or obese puts added pressure on your stomach and can make it difficult to digest food properly. Overeating can also cause your body to secrete more hydrochloric acid and puts added pressure on your esophagus, possibly causing you to suffer from acid reflux. Fortunately, losing weight is a simple way to reduce your chances of developing acid reflux. Once you shed some pounds, your digestive system will function normally again, and it’ll be easier for your body to absorb nutrients. By losing weight and keeping your body at a healthy weight, you can also reduce your risk of developing other health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. One of the best things about losing weight is that it’s reversible. If you’re experiencing acid reflux, you can start shedding pounds immediately to help ease your symptoms.
Stay Active
Your body’s most important response to stress is to secrete hydrochloric acid to help break down food in the stomach. If your lifestyle is stressful, you’ll be producing more acid as a response to that stress, increasing your chances of having acid reflux. Boosting your physical and mental health can reduce the amount of stress in your life, which may also reduce the amount of acid you have. Exercise is a great way to de-stress, improve your overall health, and reduce your acid reflux symptoms. Exercising regularly can also help you lose weight and keep it off. This can be especially helpful if you’re overweight, as it can help ease symptoms while you work to shed pounds.
Chew Your Food Thoroughly
If you have acid reflux, it’s likely you’re suffering from poor digestion. One of the reasons digestion can become impaired is because your body isn’t chewing food enough. People who suffer from acid reflux usually have very weak stomach muscles and a poor gag reflex. By chewing food more thoroughly and breaking it down before you swallow it, you’ll be giving your body a better chance to break it down and digest it properly. This can be huge for people with acid reflux and poor digestion. With this simple change, you may even notice your reflux symptoms disappearing completely.
Increase Your Magnesium Intake
Magnesium is one of the most common and powerful supplements for acid reflux. It’s an electrolyte and mineral that is critical for many biochemical reactions that occur inside your body. Unfortunately, many people already suffer from low magnesium levels, which can make symptoms of acid reflux worse. Magnesium supplements can help prevent and even reverse this deficiency and make it easier to reduce your acid reflux. Try taking 400 to 600 milligrams of magnesium daily to see if it helps your acid reflux symptoms. You can also increase your magnesium intake by eating more foods that contain it, such as dark chocolate, almonds, avocados, spinach, and halibut.
Try Natural Remedies
There are a number of herbs and supplements you can take to reduce your acid reflux and make it easier to get off your medication. These include peppermint, fennel, and ginger. You can also try drinking nettle and dandelion tea, both of which can help reduce acid reflux and heal the esophagus. You can also try eating foods that help reduce acid reflux, like blueberries and bananas. To reduce your acid reflux, you need to treat the root cause and reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do this without taking medication. With the information in this article, you’ll be able to reduce your acid reflux and stop suffering from this irritating condition.
Conclusion
Acid reflux is a serious issue and should not be ignored. By practicing the lifestyle changes mentioned in this article, you can reduce your risk of developing acid reflux, as well as ease symptoms if you currently suffer from this condition. Follow this advice to get off your acid reflux medication, and feel better fast! Keep in mind that lifestyle changes are an important part of treating acid reflux, but you should also take medication as prescribed by your doctor. This will reduce the amount of acid in your stomach, making it easier for you to follow through on lifestyle changes.
Some Reference:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17019-gerd-or-acid-reflux-or-heartburn-overview
https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/common-causes-acid-reflux-disease
https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd-risk-factors#1