If you regularly suffer from acid reflux, you know how uncomfortable it can be and how it can affect your daily life. Most people experience this uncomfortable burning sensation after eating, especially large meals. It is sage advice that prevention is better than cure, also medications may seem the easier way out on short term basis – just pop one pill and you’re done. But doctors and researchers agree that non-medication related changes and life improvements are much sustainable and more effective on a longer tern.
1. Eating sparingly and slowly When the stomach is very full, the pressure inside increases. This leads to more food which tries to push and reflux back into your oesophagus (oesophagus (gullet) is part of the digestive system, which is sometimes called the gastro-intestinal tract (GI tract)). Eat small balanced meals Eat frequently And avoid eating large meals 3 times a day. This will reduce the pressure on your lower oesophagus and helps to control reflux.
2. Avoid certain foods People with acid reflux were once instructed to eliminate all but the blandest foods from their diets. But that's no longer the case. People with reflux can easily manage symptoms by avoiding not all but few very common culprits. These are foods that are more likely to trigger reflux, These include mint, fatty foods, spicy foods, tomatoes, onions, garlic, coffee, tea, chocolate, and alcohol. If you eat any of these foods regularly, you might try eliminating them, to see if doing so controls your reflux, and then try adding them back one by one.
3. Don't drink carbonated beverages The fizziness of carbonated beverages comes from the gas that is pressurized into them. When you drink these beverages, gases are released, which in turn make you burp, Burping sends acid into the esophagus and worsens reflux Drink flat water instead of sparkling water and cold drinks.
4. Stay up after eating When you're standing, or even sitting, gravity helps keeps acid in the stomach. When you lie down on a full stomach, food pushes up into the esophagus and eventually causes reflux. For this – make it a habit to Finish eating meals three hours before you go to bed. its probably best to avoid vigorous exercise for a couple of hours after eating. An after-dinner stroll or casual walk is fine, but a more strenuous workout, especially if it involves bending over, can send acid into your esophagus.
5. Sleep on an incline Another way to let Gravity do its job is inclining your bed when you sleep. When you incline your bed, gravity prevents upward rise of food and liquid into your esophagus, essentially preventing reflux. Ideally, your head should be 6 to 8 inches higher than your feet. You can achieve this by using "extra-tall" bed risers on the legs of the bed to support the head of your bed.
6. Lose weight. The muscular structure that supports the lower esophageal sphincter, helps to keep it tight and closed. When a person is overweight- there is stress on this muscular structure which leads to weakness of the esophageal sphincter. This is the initiating point of reflux problems. Doctors agree that its Better to eat less, exercise more and lose weight rather than undergo surgery or taking medications for acid reflux.
7. If you smoke, quit Nicotine, a key part of tobacco, is thought to relax the ring of muscles in the lower esophagus that keeps acid in the stomach. Whenever you smoke that ring relaxes and acid trickles up and causes that burning sensation. Smoking also decreases the mucous your body normally produces. Also, most smokers have chest related problems that make them cough more than often. Cough increases pressure inside the abdomen, this increased pressure increases reflux.
here we are with 7 ways to control reflux without medications.