Great Steps To Take When Dealing With Acid Reflux

If you tend to eat spicy foods on a regular basis, you may develop acid reflux. This condition causes heartburn, which can be stressful to deal with. In order to treat acid reflux, you can take these steps.

Sleep with Your Upper Body Elevated

When you lay down in bed, your body may be completely flat and so might be your head. This position can cause stomach acids to flow up and reach your esophagus. This causes you pain, and prevents you from sleeping well throughout the night. You can change this, though.

All you need to do is elevate your upper body when sleeping, so stomach acids stay away from your esophagus. Using regular pillows may not do the trick, as after a while, they lose their structure. Instead, try supporting your head on a wedge-shaped pillow. These pillows are going to maintain their structure, helping your upper body stay higher than your stomach. Wedge-pillows have a contoured shape, allowing you to remain comfortable.

Avoid Certain Foods

Sometimes the best way to avoid acid reflux symptoms is to simply monitor what you eat. Try to avoid foods with onions, garlic and salt. Spicy and greasy foods should also be avoided, as they are only going to increase the acid in your stomach as the day goes on.

You also don't want to eat citrus foods like lemons or oranges. It might be helpful to make a note of what foods trigger your acid reflux, so you can avoid them in the future. Put a whiteboard on your fridge, detailing what foods are causing you the most pain.

Utilize Home Remedies

If you don't want to see a specialist and spend a lot of money to deal with your acid reflux, you can try some home remedies. Chewing gum can actually help with acid reflux because it increases the production of saliva in your mouth. This saliva then slides down your esophagus, helping neutralize any traces of acid.

A plant called aloe can also help with your symptoms. This plant has excellent anti-inflammatory properties, which helps soothe your stomach and throat pain after eating spicy and citrus foods. Another plant called slippery elm can create a protective barrier in your stomach, preventing acid from reaching your esophagus.

Dealing with acid reflux can be stressful, as it gives you heartburn and can even prevent you from getting a good night of sleep. To deal with this medical issue, you can sleep with your upper body elevated, avoid certain foods and utilize home remedies. You can also check out a clinic such as Tampa Bay Reflux Center for professional advice.