For many of us going to the fridge and grabbing whatever we like to have a snack on is quite normal. Our food gives us nourishment, we enjoy eating and we stay healthy. Unfortunately there is a group of us, for one reason or another, who have to look at food as not nourishment, but as something that can cause them immense pain and discomfort.
People who suffer from acid reflux are one such group of people. In their case, the food that they eat needs to be thought about very carefully. They need to plan their meals and even think about how long to go between meals. Grabbing a simple snack from the local takeaway is probably not an option for them if they wish to remain pain free.
Acid reflux is a condition where the stomach acids, because of a malfunction in the lower oesophageal sphincter, go back into the oesaphageous and cause intense burning pain. If this condition is not treated or goes on for some time, it can develop into GERD, a painful chronic condition that can cause serious complications.
An easy way to tell if you have acid reflux is if you experience symptoms like a burning sensation in your chest or upper abdomen, sour taste in your mouth, tightness in your throat, difficulty swallowing food and perhaps bad breath.
It is important to discuss any of these symptoms with your doctor to ensure that there is nothing else going on with your health and they can gauge the seriousness of your situation.
There are some foods that are known to cause people with acid reflux problems:
- Alcohol
- Spicy foods
- Tomato based products
- Fried and fatty foods
- Coffee
- Chocolate
- Peppermint and spearmint
- Some fruit juices
- Onions
- Garlic
- Citrus fruits
Sometimes it can be something as simple as a change in your diet to cause dramatic health changes within your body. Making lifestyle changes can often seem overwhelming and difficult. Your medical practitioner may be able to help you adjust to your new diet. There are many support groups who can assist you in the transition. The internet is full of excellent products and ideas to help you become healthier. The big benefit to you is that once you start to change your lifestyle to reduce your occurrences of acid reflux, you will notice many areas of your life start to improve as well.
