News: Dietary Changes Can Help Curb Acid Reflux Symptoms
There are a variety of over-the-counter medications to treat acid reflux but dietary changes also can be a big help. Dr. Aaron Miller says eating smaller meals more often and selecting more healthful foods can help reduce acid-reflux symptoms, which affect about one out of 14 Americans a day. Eating close to bedtime also can trigger an acid-reflux attack.
People plagued with the disease are often unaware of the prevention tactics available to easily treat acid reflux and never suffer from the disease again.
Symptoms of acid reflux include burning sensation in the chest, dry cough, hoarseness in the throat, regurgitation of acid and waking up in the middle of the night with a foul taste in the mouth.
“Acid reflux happens when digestive acids reflux or travel up the esophagus from the stomach,” said Aaron Miller, physician at Health Service.
He said in order for acid to travel up the esophagus, the lower esophageal sphincter has to either be weakened or relaxed.
The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscular valve found between the esophagus and the stomach and opens and closes as food enters the stomach, Miller said.
This phenomena can be triggered by eating unhealthy foods, ingesting caffeine or being overweight. Eating large amounts of food in one meal and eating before sleep can also spark acid reflux.
Robert Talmore, sophomore psychology major, experienced a recent bout with acid reflux.
“I didn’t know I had it until I was diagnosed,” Talmore said. “It felt awful, my chest burnt, it was hard to swallow.”
Talmore experienced acid reflux for about a week.
“I was instructed to take Prilosec and change my diet to less acidic food,” Talmore said. “I felt better within a few days.”
Several strategies and medications are available for treating acid reflux.
Keeping one’s body elevated makes acid less likely to travel up the esophagus, Miller said. Sleeping with one’s head elevated higher than one’s feet can also be helpful, he said.
Dietary changes can be a big help in the war on acid reflux. Eating smaller amounts of food more often throughout the day and eating healthier foods can be of great assistance.
Medications for acid reflux are very prevalent and several, like Pepcid, Zantac, Tums and Nexium, can be found over-the-counter, Miller said.
Miller has dealt with acid reflux first hand. He said he has found these strategies to be the most helpful.
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