Heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - What Food To Avoid

Experience, sometime, middle, considered

Heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, commonly referred to as GERD go hand in hand. Most people who experience heartburn often have GERD. GERD is a condition where the stomach acid travels up to the esophagus and causes pain or heartburn. It does this because the lower muscle in the esophagus which is suppose to close and prevent this, does not do its job.

This is sometime why you get this awful taste, similar to vomit, when you overeat, eat too much acidic food or drinks, or even when you drink too much alcoholic beverages. Heartburn on its own, once in a while does not mean you have GERD. When heartburn becomes chronic, which means at least twice a week for at least three months, then you have reason to suspect GERD.

There are certain food you should avoid to lessen to times you experience heartburn. There are some food or drinks that weaken the lower esophagus muscle (LES) and can irritate your esophagus.

Starting with beverages, you should avoid the following drinks: lemonade, orange juice, cranberry juice, milk shake, grapefruit juice, wine, sodas, and coffee or tea - decaffeinated or not.

When talking about food, the ones you should take care not to eat too much of, especially three hours before sleeping are citrus fruits, fatty meats, ice cream, chocolate, cottage cheese, vegetables, French fries, nuggets, sour cream, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, doughnuts, brownies, and junk food like potato chips or corn chips.

If you wake up in the middle of the night feeling hungry, avoid taking a big snack, and focus more on settling your hunger with food like apple, a small baked potato, banana, fat- free dairy products, white or multi-grain bread, graham crackers, baked potato chips, jelly beans, rice cakes, and pretzels. Also, never consume too much even if they are considered safe food.

It is also advisable that if you must take a snack in the middle of the night, that you allow at least 30 minutes before going back to sleep.

On the other hand, if you came from a party and had a few drinks, the best way to settle your stomach for the night is to drink a full glass of water. This is an age old trick to counter the effects of the alcohol and avoid indigestion and a heavy head the next day.

It is also important that you do not lie down with your head at the same level as the rest of your body, but then neither should it be at an extreme angle. All you need to do is keep your head a few inches above the stomach so that you let gravity play an important role in keeping your food and the stomach acid in place.