Tips for Reducing Heartburn

The churning and burning sensation deep within the chest, commonly referred to as heartburn, often rears itself rather painfully after eating. Heartburn can also attack at night, particularly when lying down or bending over. Backed up stomach acid that travels up the esophageal tube rather than down toward the stomach, as it should, is what leads to the painful symptom of heartburn.

The lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, muscle acts as a doorway for food to easily transition into the stomach. A weakened or compromised sphincter can inadvertently allow bits of stomach acid up through the doorway, and this acid can aggravate the esophageal tissue and even enter the throat. Essentially what is occurring is reflux, or the rise of stomach contents up into the esophagus.

Individuals can experience reflux at varying degrees and duration. A more serious and constant form of acid indigestion, or heartburn, is generally due to a gastroesophageal disease referred to as GERD. Risk factors include diet, lifestyle habits and obesity.

Reduce the risk of heartburn by implementing the following:

• Learn food triggers and avoid these foods. Common heartburn activators include: fried and fatty foods, acidic foods like tomato sauce, mint and citrus, spicy items, such as jalapenos, caffeinated or carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages.
• Eat smaller meals instead of big portions, which might confuse the sphincter into allowing food up instead of down.
• After eating remain in an elevated or erect position. Avoid bending over or lying down within three hours of consuming a meal.
• Consider quitting smoking, as smoking reduces the sphincter’s ability to function properly.
• Maintain a healthy weight or work on losing excess weight. Extra pounds place more pressure on the stomach, which causes acids to rise up into the esophagus.
• Wear clothing that is loose around the waist to prevent placing pressure on the abdomen and sphincter.
• Avoid rigorous exercise when persistent heartburn flares occur.

Heartburn can be minimized with simple changes but in the event of persistent symptoms, consult a local Ft. Worth area medical professional for proper diagnosis and testing. Heartburn can also result as a side effect of certain medications. Over-the-counter antacid remedies might also help to reduce heartburn but you should discuss this option with your health care team first, particularly if you experience regular bouts of heartburn.