Information about Acid Reflux and Diet

What Is Acid Reflux Disease?

At the entrance to your stomach is a valve, which is a ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Normally, the LES closes as soon as food passes through it. If the LES doesn't close all the way or if it opens too often, acid produced by your stomach can move up into your esophagus. This can cause symptoms such as a burning chest pain called heartburn. If acid reflux symptoms happen more than twice a week, you have acid reflux disease, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
 

What Causes Acid Reflux Disease?

- A stomach abnormality called a hiatal hernia

- These are other common risk factors for acid reflux disease:

- Eating large meals or lying down right after a meal

- Being overweight or obese

- Eating a heavy meal and lying on your back or bending over at the waist

- Snacking close to bedtime

- Eating certain foods, such as citrus, tomato, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, or spicy or fatty foods

- Drinking certain beverages, such as alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea

- Smoking

- Being pregnant

- Taking aspirin, ibuprofen, certain muscle relaxers, or blood pressure medications

Symptoms of acid reflux are:

- Heartburn: a burning pain or discomfort that may move from your stomach to your abdomen or chest, or even up into your throat

- Regurgitation: a sour or bitter-tasting acid backing up into your throat or mouth

- Bloating

- Bloody or black stools or bloody vomiting

- Burping

- Dysphagia -- a narrowing of your esophagus, which creates the sensation of food being stuck in your throat

- Hiccups that don't let up

- Nausea

- Weight loss for no known reason

- Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat

Ways to reduce/treat Acid Reflux:

One of the most effective ways to treat acid reflux disease is to avoid the foods and beverages that trigger symptoms. Here are other steps you can take:

 

- Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.

- Quit smoking.

- Put blocks under the head of your bed to raise it at least 4 inches to 6 inches.

- Don't eat at least 2 to 3 hours before lying down.

- Try sleeping in a chair for daytime naps.

- Don't wear tight clothes or tight belts.

- If you're overweight or obese, take steps to lose weight with exercise and diet changes.

- Also, ask your doctor whether any medication could be triggering your heartburn or other symptoms of acid reflux disease.

Trigger Foods

One thing you can do to reduce your risk for heartburn and acid reflux disease is to eat low-fat, high-protein meals. Foods that are especially acidic, spicy, fatty, greasy or creamy tend to exacerbate symptoms of GERD and lead to heartburn. If you regularly suffer from acid reflux, Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology clinic of Pennsylvania recommends avoiding whole milk, creamed vegetables, tomatoes, citrus fruits, fatty cuts of meat, most oils, fatty desserts, mint and most fast foods. For some people, especially children and teens, the Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association, also called PAGER, notes that "gassy" foods such as broccoli, beans, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower may also cause or intensify reflux.

Avoid beverages that seem to trigger heartburn or make it worse, such as:

- Coffee or tea (both regular and decaffeinated)

- Other beverages that contain caffeine

- Carbonated beverages

- Alcohol

Avoid foods that seem to trigger your heartburn or make it worse, such as:

- Citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons

- Tomatoes and products that contain tomatoes, such as tomato sauce and salsa

- Creamy foods, such as full fat dairy

- Chocolate

- Mint or peppermint

- Fatty or spicy foods

- Onions and garlic

Substitute Foods

Not all trigger foods result in reflux symptoms. Each person's triggers are different. If you do find that you have a problem with many of the foods on the trigger list, you may be able to eat substitute foods that rarely aggravate GERD, such as low-fat or nonfat dairy products instead of full-fat dairy; low-fat desserts, yogurt instead of cream; vegetables that aren't creamed or fried; fruits that are not acidic and lean cuts of meat instead of fatty varieties.

The Way to Eat

The way in which you eat meals and snacks may be nearly as important as what you choose to eat in minimizing reflux. Along with eliminating trigger foods, eating a variety of small meals throughout the day rather than fewer large meals can help ease reflux and stop eating before you get too full. Chewing food thoroughly and eating slowly is also useful.

Can medication help?

Over-the-counter medications can help neutralize stomach acid. Called antacids, they give quick, short-term relief for many people. Don't overdo it, though, or you may trigger other side effects, such as diarrhea or constipation. Brands that contain both magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide can help reduce these side effects. If you find you need to keep taking antacids for more than two weeks, see your doctor or other health care provider.

Also, ask your doctor whether any medication could be triggering your heartburn or other symptoms of acid reflux disease. These are examples of medications that may trigger acid reflux:

- Aspirin or ibuprofen, such as Motrin

- Some muscle relaxants

- Certain blood pressure drugs

 

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IF YOU HAVE PERSISTANT ACID REFLUX/GERD.

References:
LiveStrong.com - Acid Reflux & Foods:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/129128-acid-reflux-foods/

WebMD.com - Heartburn/GERD:
http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/what-is-acid-reflux-disease

WebMD.com - Treating Acid Reflux Disease With Diet and Lifestyle Changes:
http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/treating-acid-reflux-disease-with-diet-lifestyle-changes