Every year, over 55% of adults will suffer from Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease, according to GERD researcher Dr. William Encinosa who also stated that 25% of adults will experience symptoms every week. The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointenstinal Disorder, estimates that GERD costs the economy over $2 billion every week in terms of loss of productivity. Unlike other diseases, GERD is completely avoidable. Small changes in the right areas can keep the condition away. We look at four ways through which you can avoid gas reflux.
Eating Smaller Meals
The stomach can only take a certain amount of food before it is stretched full. More often than not a person does not need a large meal. According to the British Journal of Nutrition, it is advisable to eat many small meals within a day, mainly because it helps the body digest the food at ease without affecting the base metabolism rate negatively. Large meals not only pressure the stomach and produce large volumes of acid, they put pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, thereby causing acid toreflux into the esophageal lining. It has to be noted that reflux over a long time can lead to cancer of the throat.
Avoid Lying Down After Eating
The temptation to lie down, especially after a full meal, is always there. Giving in to the desire to rest in a horizontal position can increase gas reflux. This is because the body is pressing down on the food in the stomach. Any acid and gas in the stomach is therefore forced up the esophagus. To prevent this, it is recommended that a person should only lie down three hours after a meal.
Avoid Meals That Cause Reflux
There are certain foods whose acidity increase the production of gas and acid that can then cause GERD. Some of these foods include carbonated beverages, onions, mint, chocolate, spicy foods, fatty foods, tomatoes, citrus, and lemons. Other foods that can cause GERD are caffeinated beverages such as coffee. The New England Journal of Medicine, for example, found that caffeine in coffee stimulates the section of excess gastric acid in the stomach. Not everyone will get GERD after eating these foods. However, if you note that you get more gas after eating any of the foods listed, then the best thing to do would be to eliminate the food from your diet or eat it sparingly.
Eating gluten-free food can also prevent GERD. Gluten is a protein found in some grains. Some people have observed that grains such as rye and wheat and their derivatives will result in excess gas, therefore non-gluten foods can assist in reducing these symptoms.
Reduce or Eliminate Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages in themselves are not a causal factor for GERD. However, alcohol causes the overall relaxation of muscles within the body. It relaxes the LES, according to University of California, Los Angeles gastroenterologist Kevin Ghassemi. The effect of that relaxation is the loosening of the LES, thereby allowing gas and acid to reflux into the esophagus.
There you go.. There are her contributions for acid reflux.
A couple of things I would add is making sure your actual digestion is working. A lot of times the pH of your stomach acid isn’t proper, and by adding in the proper pH as well as digestive enzymes help tremendously for acid reflux.
Another cause can be from a hidden hiatal hernia. I see these in little babies and a ton of adult patients as well. Sometimes the top of the stomach can slip up above the diaphragm and cause reflux symptoms. I can help! I do a maneuver to gently pull the stomach down, it’s really helpful!
Third, is H.Pylori infection. The common food poisoning bug, but it loves acid and can live in the stomach. It goes misdiagnosed all the time! With CBT I can screen for the hidden bug, AND help your body eliminate it.