Are you one of the millions of people in the USA who suffers from heartburn? Are you forced to take over-the-counter medications to try to stay comfortable after a meal? Acid reflux is a very uncomfortable and potentially harmful condition in which the muscle between your esophagus and the stomach are not functioning correctly.
You can treat the condition without medication, but if the symptoms continue, you need to see an ENT, or “ear, nose, and throat” specialist from South Florida ENT Specialists. We can diagnose and treat the condition. Frequent heartburn may be a condition called GERD, or “gastroesophageal reflux disease,” which is left untreated can lead to much more serious health conditions.
You could help relieve acid reflux by taking these steps:
1. Eat smaller meals
Eating more frequent, smaller meals can help to relieve acid reflux. When the stomach is less full, it is less likely for stomach acid to be forced upward into the esophagus.
2. Avoid some types of foods
Certain types of food will trigger higher amounts of stomach acid to be produced. Avoiding food with a high acid content, such as coffee, tea, and tomatoes, and fatty foods can reduce the heartburn.
3. Lose weight
A common reason for acid reflux is excessive weight, as it affects the muscular structure that keeps the sphincter muscle at the bottom of the esophagus closed. If you have excess weight, losing pounds can help relieve the condition.
4. Do not lie down after eating
If you lie down after you eat, you increase the possibility of stomach acid moving up the esophagus.
5. Sleep on a foam wedge
Gravity can help keep the stomach acid where it belongs. With your head elevated, you reduce the chance that you will suffer heartburn while you sleep.
6. Avoid carbonated drinks
Carbonated drinks, whether bubbly water or sodas trigger burping, which allows stomach acid to enter the esophagus.
7. Quit smoking
Nicotine can affect the function of the esophageal sphincter, relaxing the structure, allowing stomach acid to move upward.
8. Evaluate your medications
Some medications relax the sphincter muscle that keeps the stomach acid where it belongs and could be the source of regular heartburn.
See an ENT
Many people have tried to reduce acid reflux with lifestyle changes and OTC medications, and still suffer regular heartburn. In these cases, it is imperative that you see a specialist, as if the condition is untreated, it can lead to other health problems to exist that are far more difficult to treat, such as esophageal cancer, heart disease, a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, or esophagitis.
A healthy digestive system does not include regular bouts of acid reflux. If you are experiencing heartburn one or two times a month, or even more frequently, you need to be evaluated by a specialist, so it can be correctly treated. You deserve relief from the painful symptoms, and an ear, nose, and throat specialist can perform a series of tests to identify the cause of the condition and treat it appropriately.
