Acid reflux can be quite a nuisance, especially when you unknowingly do something to trigger symptoms like heartburn, indigestion, chest pain, and involuntary regurgitation (a mixture of gastric juices and sometimes food rising from the esophagus back up to the throat). However, the good news is that you can prevent many of your reflux flare-ups and avoid the discomfort of those symptoms. Here’s how:
The first step to managing your acid reflux is identifying your triggers. Everyone’s reflux is different. But certain foods, activities, and even medical conditions can aggravate or trigger your reflux. Like:
- Spicy, fatty, fried, and greasy foods, chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol are all known to trigger acid reflux. So are citrus fruits or juices, tomatoes and tomato-based products, garlic, and onions.
- Stress is another potential trigger of acid reflux. Stress can increase the amount of acid you have in your stomach.
- Being overweight or obese are two risk factors and triggers of acid reflux. Carrying extra weight, especially around your midsection, causes the fat to put pressure on your stomach.
- Medical conditions like hiatal hernias (where the stomach protrudes into the chest through the diaphragm) and scleroderma (which causes inflammation in the skin and other areas) can contribute to the development of acid reflux.
- Smoking increases the risk of heartburn and ulcers and aggravates acid reflux.
The next step to managing your acid reflux is to make dietary changes:
- Eat smaller meals and snacks throughout the day to keep your stomach acid under control.
- Sometimes, lying down after eating can aggravate or trigger your reflux symptoms. If this happens to you, try sitting upright for at least two hours after you eat so that gravity helps keep the food in your stomach where it belongs.
- Ideally, you should eliminate foods that trigger reflux from your diet. But, for those who can’t avoid those foods entirely, try limiting your consumption.
- Stay hydrated! Carbonated drinks and citric juices can produce more stomach acid. Drinking lots of water can help keep down acid. Or, you can try milk. A glass of milk can help reduce stomach acid, relieve heartburn, and help with other reflux symptoms. (We don’t know if milk alternatives, like nut- or plant-based milk, have the same effect).
The final step to managing your acid reflux is to make lifestyle changes:
- If you are overweight or obese and have acid reflux, losing weight, even just a few pounds, can help reduce the severity of your reflux symptoms.
- Find ways to manage your stress. Since stress plays a role in reflux, calming activities, such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, or self-care activities that help you relax and unwind, can help to keep your stomach acid levels under control.
- Try calcium supplements. If you have acid reflux, calcium may help reduce the amount of stomach acid produced and thus reduce symptoms of acid reflux.
- There are many reasons to cut down on or stop smoking. One of those is to reduce reflux symptoms.
Everyone’s reflux is different. So what triggers your symptoms will vary person-to-person. Keeping a log or journal can help you narrow down what might trigger your symptoms. Carefully tracking what you eat and do and any resulting reactions can help you better manage your acid reflux and support a healthier lifestyle.
Managing acid reflux may sound challenging, but it does not have to be. Once identify what triggers your acid reflux flare-ups, the best thing to do is make lifestyle changes, including reducing your exposure to them or avoiding them. By avoiding triggers, adopting healthier dietary habits, and making necessary lifestyle changes, you can help your digestive system function properly, manage your acid reflux, and reduce its impact on your life⎯to feel better sooner rather than later.
If you have adjusted your diet and lifestyle but still have trouble managing your acid reflux symptoms, it may be time to talk to your doctor. They can help formulate a treatment plan tailored to your needs and provide additional advice on managing your triggers and reflux. They may also prescribe medications or supplements that can reduce the severity of your symptoms. With the right approach, you can learn how to manage your acid reflux and ultimately enhance your overall health and well-being.