Self-Care Tips for GERD Sufferers
GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is characterized by frequent heartburn and acid reflux that occurs two or more times per week. Your doctor can prescribe medication or recommend surgical treatments that may reduce the frequency or severity of your symptoms, or resolve the condition completely. However, there are also several lifestyle changes you can make on your own that can prevent heartburn and acid reflux from causing pain and damage to your esophagus.
GERD Self-Care Tips
- Identify and avoid your trigger foods. Although you’ll find many lists of foods that can commonly cause heartburn, no one food has been proven to cause acid reflux in everybody. Keep a journal of what you eat and when you experience heartburn symptoms to identify which foods cause pain and you’ll be able to stay away from problem foods without unnecessarily avoiding some of your favorites.
- Eat six small meals instead of three large meals. Putting too much food in your stomach at once increases the pressure in your abdomen and your risk for acid reflux. Eating six meals instead of three can make it easier for you to have smaller meals and still feel satisfied.
- Enlist the help of gravity. Gravity helps pull your food down into your stomach and then into your intestines, which means reducing the risk of digestive juices flowing back up into your esophagus. To give gravity time to work, avoid laying down for two to three hours after you eat.
- Lose weight. Being overweight or obese can cause frequent heartburn because of the constant pressure on your stomach and LES, the valve between your stomach and esophagus that’s supposed to prevent reflux from occurring. Losing weight may help you permanently avoid heartburn.
Talk to your doctor about whether prescription medication or surgery can supplement your lifestyle changes.