Acid reflux refers to heartburn, which is a result of blood or food not being digested properly. Blood could back up in the heart valve if there is a problem with the valve. This may occur if foods travel towards your mouth after they already reach your stomach. Acid reflux is a condition that anyone could experience so it is important to know how it is caused.
What Causes Acid Reflux
The most common cause for acid reflux is undigested food or digestive juices that get out of the stomach and re-enter the oesophagus. If there is a deficiency of stomach acid when food is ate it will prevent the food from being digested properly. The type of food that you eat can also play a role in the chance of experiencing acid reflux. Some of the foods that are more likely to cause acid reflux include spicy or fatty foods, dairy products, coffee, and alcohol.
If you are a smoker then you are also at a high risk of having acid reflux. This is due to the fact that smoking causes more acid to accumulate in the stomach. Acid reflux as a result of smoking can affect both the chest and oesophagus.
How to Prevent Acid Reflux
The best way to prevent acid reflux as much as possible would be to prevent consumption of foods that increase the risk of getting acid reflux, obviously. However, this may not be optimal for most individuals as these are often foods that are enjoyed quite frequently. To get some results, if you experience acid reflux on a regular basis, limit your intake of any foods that increase the risk of acid reflux.
It is important to remember that eating too much food can often cause acid reflux. If you eat more than your body can handle to digest then there will be digestive problems that will occur. Undigested foods or digestive juices will then be floating around and may end up escaping your stomach and making their way back to your oesophagus. The result of this will be acid reflux and you will notice all of the signs of the condition as well. If you want to prevent acid reflux as much as possible then you simply should avoid anything that can trigger it such as spicy foods, fatty foods, smoking, and eating too much.
One more recommendation that can be made is to avoid eating a lot of food right before you go to bed. This is something that can increase your risk of acid reflux and can make getting to sleep very difficult. There are other health reasons why you may want to avoid eating right before bedtime as well. Another minor note would be to try to keep your head positioned slightly higher than the rest of your body while you are sleeping. This is usually accomplished with a pillow but make sure you are aware of it as it can have an affect on whether you experience acid reflux or not.
Final Thoughts
Acid reflux can be a terrible issue to deal with as it can cause mild discomfort for quite a period of time. It is highly recommended that you fully inform yourself on all of the foods and habits that can influence you to experience acid reflux.
If you make a conscious effort to avoid doing things such as going to bed right after eating, causing pressure to the abdomen, and eating too much spicy foods then you may be able to avoid acid reflux the vast majority of the time. Ultimately, if you read up on all of the causes of acid reflux and what can influence the condition then you can decrease the risk of experiencing it in the future if you apply that knowledge as well.
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