Getting Rid Of Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is a painful problem for many people these days. The poor diets and exercise habits, as well as job and family stress, of many Americans can lead to overactive stomach acids. These acids can cause heartburn and even get bad enough to cause esophagus pain that can make it feel like you're having a heart attack. Overproduction of stomach acids can also cause ulcers in the digestive system. Of course, you should immediately go to a doctor if you have strange chest or abdominal pain.

I was one of those people who got chest pains that popped up all of the sudden (in my early 30s and healthy). I nervously went to the local Urgent Care to get checked out, and after getting tested, was told that I had esophagus pain from too much acid reflux. It got better after about a month, but then got an ulcer in my upper intestines from those overactive stomach acids. It took a few months for the ulcer to stop bothering me, but with the right diet, and other habit, changes, I got through it - and you can too.

Your diet, exercise habits, and even the way you sleep all factor into getting rid of acid reflux. If you do the right things you can succeed at stopping or preventing acid reflux and indigestion problems.

There are many foods and drinks you should avoid if you want to succeed at getting rid of acid reflux. These include:

Alcohol - Nothing will get those stomach acids going more than alcohol. Curbing your beer and liquor intake or stopping it completely for a while will help you stop acid reflux problems much quicker.

Spicy foods - It should go without saying that spicy foods will get the stomach acids flowing. They will irritate any esophagus or intestinal problems you may have.

Fatty and fried foods - If you want to stop acid reflux, you'll need to avoid those fast food drive-throughs. Those heavy, high calorie meals will cause more stomach acid production. You also need to make wise choices when you eat out.

Tomato-based foods - Tomatoes, tomato sauces, and tomato-based foods such as ketchup will likely bother you if you suffer from acid reflux.

Dairy products - You would think that milk and ice cream would be soothing to indigestion problems. However, they actually cause hightened stomach acid production.

Other foods and drinks you should avoid to stop acid reflux include citrus fruits and juices such as orange or lemon, garlic, chocolate, coffee and tea, and soda.

Along with avoiding these foods while you're trying to get rid of heartburn and acid reflux, you also need to avoid eating large meals. You should also avoid drinking while eating.

There are plenty of delicious foods and drinks for preventing or getting rid of acid relux and indigestion problems. These include:

Water - Water is good for just about anything. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses a day will certainly help you prevent or stop acid reflux.

Lean meats - Chicken, fish, and lean red meats are all excellent foods to keep in your diet when suffering from acid reflux and indigestion.

Non - citrus fruits and juices - Apples and bananas are particularly good foods for avoiding acid reflux. Apple juice is also good.

Bread - You can make sandwiches with lean meats for excellent meals.

Most vegetables - Most vegetables besides tomatoes are fine to eat when you're coping with acid reflux. Salads are great because they make up a light meal and won't cause your stomach to produce much acid. You can also enjoy potatoes.

Other foods you should eat when you're trying to succeed at getting rid of acid reflux include egg whites, cereal, and baked snack chips.

Eat smaller meals more often throughout the day when you're coping with acid reflux. Consuming too much food at one sitting is one of the main causes of heartburn.

Of course, exercising is good for you. Performing regular regular cardio and weight training workouts can help you burn calories and lose weight - things that can certainly help you avoid acid reflux problems. However, if you're already having issues with heartburn and acid reflux you'll probably want to perform lower intensity exercise for a while. Working out hard will cause more stomach acid activity, while toning it down a notch will help you avoid it.

You should also avoid eating within a few hours before exercising when you want to succeed at getting rid of acid reflux.

The way you sleep also factors into stopping acid reflux. You'll want to sleep in a position that makes it less likely for your stomach acids to get into your esophagus. This means that you are best off sleeping on your back through the night. If you sleep on your stomach or side your stomach acids will be more likely to get into your esophagus, so you should avoid doing that. One thing you can do while sleeping on your back to further help get rid of acid reflux is to prop your head up higher with an extra pillow. You can also buy wedge pillows to help even more.

While getting rid of acid reflux naturally is the best way to go, you may want to try some pills that offer acid reflux relief for a little while if you're really suffering. There are many great over-the-counter options when you want help stopping heartburn. Prilosec, If you visit a doctor they may write you a prescription for more powerful acid reflux medication.

Acid reflux drugs work by blocking the stomach from producing acid. This really just covers up the real problem, so even if you take medication, you still need to change your dietary habits so you don't get recurring acid reflux problems when you stop taking it.

The health problems caused by smoking have been well documented, and acid reflux is another one of those problems. You can prevent and get rid of acid reflux much easier if you quit smoking.