December 22, 2003

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Holiday Heartburn - Tips For Controlling This Not-So-Festive Condition

If you suffer from frequent heartburn, you know that heartburn is very likely to pay an unwelcome visit to your holiday feast. To help ensure the heartburn doesn't take up residence this year, try the following tips.

Don't Overeat.
A full stomach can put extra pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which will increase the chance that some of this food will reflux into the esophagus.

Relax when you eat.
Stress increases the production of stomach acid, so make meals a pleasant, relaxing experience. Sit down. Eat slowly. Chew completely. Play soothing music.

Avoid Lying Down Immediately After Eating.
Also, avoid lying down for at least three hours after eating. Lying down with a full stomach can cause stomach contents to press harder against the LES, which tends to relax when a person lays down, causing an increased chance of refluxed food.

Avoid fatty foods.
High-fat foods can increase acid secretion, decrease LES pressure, or slow down the emptying of the stomach.

Avoid caffeinated soda and coffee.
Caffeine relaxes the LES, increasing the risk of acid reflux.

Avoid Alcohol.
Alcohol increases the amount of acid the stomach produces.

Avoid Chocolate and mints.
These have two affects on heartburn sufferers: They relax the LES, and they increase the amount of acid the stomach produces.

Chew gum after eating.
Chewing gum or sucking on a lozenge for 30 minutes after meals increases the production of saliva. This saliva can relieve heartburn by bathing the esophagus and lessening the effects of acid refluxed into the esophagus by washing it back down to the stomach.
06:55 AM #

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