GERD, or Gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a condition where acid backs up and enters the esophagus. In other words, this is extreme heartburn. People who suffer from GERD symptoms face several health risks, because the strength of stomach acid is the same as battery acid. This means people who face the symptoms of GERD, on a daily basis, could lose the lining of their esophagus and the enamel on their teeth. That’s why it’s important to avoid the symptoms of GERD whenever possible.
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When you live with GERD, it maybe hard to sleep on a flat surface, but this doesn’t mean you have to buy a special bed either. In fact, you can elevate your bed in a few simple ways. For example, you can use books to elevate the head of your bed or you can also buy bed risers and only use them on your headboard. You can even do something as simple as adding more pillows to your bed. This helps you to avoid GERD symptoms by keeping the acid in your stomach.
It has been proven that sleeping on your right side will actually worsen GERD symptoms. When you sleep on your right side you may experience more acid coming up your throat. To avoid this, sleep on your back, or sleep on your left side.
Citrus foods are one of the many categories of food that can trigger GERD symptoms. To make it easier to live with GERD, you will want to avoid any foods that have citrus in them. This means that you will need to give up juices, candy, certain sodas, and any other foods that contain citric acid.
Caffeine can also trigger GERD symptoms. In order to live with GERD, you must discover what foods contain caffeine. This means checking all the soda you drink and certain foods. This is usually easy to do. Just remember to switch to decaffeinated tea, coffee, and sodas and limit your intake of chocolate, which can also trigger GERD symptoms.
Too much peppermint can also trigger GERD symptoms. This means you will want to limit your intake of mints, gum, and other candies that have a peppermint flavor. Depending on how bad your GERD is, you may want to avoid peppermint all together.
It should go without saying that in order to live with GERD you must avoid spicy foods. This doesn’t just mean hot foods. Other foods that are spicy can also trigger GERD symptoms. For example, pasta sauce can cause extreme GERD symptoms making it almost impossible to sleep.
Wearing your pants too tight can cause GERD symptoms. As your pants squeeze your waistband, acid will move more easily into your esophagus. To avoid GERD symptoms you may want to wear pants that have an elastic waistband.
The best way to avoid GERD symptoms is to find a medication that works for you. Not all medications are perfect for every individual, so it may take a while to find a medication that works. It’s best to start out with over-the-counter medications. If you can’t an OTC medication that works, you will then need to consult your doctor.
People who have GERD have problems with different types of food. This means that you maybe able to eat citrus foods, but chocolate makes you extremely ill. To avoid GERD symptoms, you will need to discover which food trigger GERD symptoms. Whenever you experience GERD symptoms, write down what you ate that day. Overtime, you will be able to avoid trigger foods.
To help avoid the GERD symptoms you will want to avoid laying down right after you eat. This will help to ensure that the acid stays in your stomach rather than making its way into your esophagus. You can also visit the best clinic in your area for more help.