Nikolina's Story

"I recently had a endoscopy because I was vomiting and had nausea too. My doctor did biopsy and results showed that I have inflammation where my stomach meets the esophagus. She told me it is because of acid reflux. She didn't really diagnose me with GERD. I started to eat spicy food 1 year ago and after a few months I developed inflammation. Now I watch my food. I never drink soda, don't smoke, don't drink, and now I got that inflammation. I wonder could it be that spicy food or stress. I am very depressed too. Any suggestions for me?"

Points to Remember:
One of the first steps doctors usually recommend for patients who suffer from chronic heartburn is lifestyle modifications. This includes what foods we eat and don't eat. While foods aren't always a trigger for heartburn, the majority of patients do state eating certain foods is sure to cause heartburn. If you are not sure which foods trigger your heartburn, you can try keeping a record of what you eat, and any symptoms that may occur afterwards, for a week or two. If you've eaten several foods during a meal and don't know which one triggered your heartburn, you can re-introduce each food one at a time into your diet to determine which one is causing the heartburn. To help with meal planning, you can check out the list of most often safe foods for heartburn sufferers, and foods to avoid. You may also want to check out some heartburn-free menu suggestions. And while stress doesn't cause heartburn if you don't already suffer from it, it can lead to behavior that can trigger it. Learning ways to relax can help.

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Related Resources:

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Good Foods, Bad Foods for Heartburn Sufferers