12 Dec 2006
- Lose weight if overweight
- Avoid bending after eating
- Sleep with upper body elevated; put 4 to 6 inch blocks under the head of your bed
- Avoid tight fitting clothing
- Stop smoking
- Eat small, healthy, low fat meals. Don’t overeat. Small meals are less likely to back up.
- Avoid foods that relax the sphincter and encourage reflux: fatty foods, spicy foods, onion, garlic, chocolate, excessive alchol, peppermint and spearmint
- Avoid foods that tend to irritate an inflamed esophagus: citrus juices, pepper, tomato products, tea, cola, regular and decaffeinated coffee
- Avoid food and drink for 2 hours prior to lying down
Put a stop to heartburn
If you regularly suffer from heartburn after eating, it’s a sign that stomach contents are backing up into the esophagus. Reflux can be a sympton of several conditions: hiatus hernia, an impaired esophageal sphincter, or high abdominal pressure caused by obesity or pregnancy.
The symptons of food reflux mimic some of the warning signs of a heart attack. If the heartburn is sudden and uncommon, seek medical attention immediately.
Anne Lindsay
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