Heartburn is a common occurrence for many people. Heartburn is a burning sensation felt in the chest and it’s usually worse after eating or in the evening. When your body works as it should, the food you eat travels down your esophagus and into your stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) between your esophagus and stomach opens, food enters the stomach, then the LES closes. If the LES is not working correctly, the acid in your stomach can flow backward into the esophagus and cause a burning sensation. Heartburn can be uncomfortable, but you do not have to live with it. Here are seven of the best heartburn tips to reduce your chances of experiencing it.
Certain foods can increase your risk of experiencing heartburn. Foods that commonly cause heartburn include:
Keep a diary of the foods you’ve eaten that cause heartburn, and avoid those foods in the future.
Heartburn can occur if your meals are too large. Large meals expand the stomach and place pressure on the sphincter muscle, allowing the stomach acid to leak into the esophagus and irritate it. Eating small, frequent meals can reduce the number of times you experience heartburn.
Laying down too quickly after eating a meal puts pressure on your sphincter muscle and allows stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus. It is important to remain upright for at least 30 minutes after eating to allow your stomach to empty and prevent heartburn.
Wearing tight-fitting clothing such as elastic waistbands, shapewear, and tight tops can put pressure on the abdomen and cause the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus. If you experience frequent heartburn, consider wearing loose-fitting clothing to help prevent unnecessary pressure on your stomach.
Smoking can weaken the sphincter muscle between your esophagus and stomach, allowing stomach acid to travel back into the esophagus. Smoking should be avoided for your overall health, but quitting smoking can help alleviate your heartburn symptoms.
Obesity is a risk factor for a multitude of diseases and illnesses. Carrying around extra weight, especially in the abdomen, can worsen your heartburn symptoms. Eating a healthy diet and watching your weight is necessary to reduce the frequency of your symptoms.
If lifestyle changes do not alleviate your heartburn, consider speaking to your doctor about an over-the-counter medication to help prevent your heartburn from occurring. Options include famotidine (Pepcid), omeprazole (Prilosec), and esomeprazole (Nexium), which reduce the amount of acid produced in the stomach.
Heartburn is common and usually not cause for concern, though left untreated, it can lead to Barrett’s esophagus or even esophageal cancer. Heartburn can often be managed at home with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications. But if your heartburn symptoms become more frequent, interfere with your life, or you need medications several times a week, it’s time to talk with your doctor.
Don’t continue to suffer from heartburn—schedule an appointment today!
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