Acid reflux is a disease caused by the flow back of acid from your stomach to your chest and throat. One of the symptoms of this disease is heart burn which is a kind of burning that you feel in your chest and throat. Sometimes people think that Acid Reflux is caused by eating too much or too much eating the wrong food and will disappear eventually after some rest. However, Acid Reflux is a serious illness which can cause more dangerous disease such as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and hiatal hernias. It is true that the amount of food and what kind of food we eat are some factors that can trigger this disease. But there are some more things to put into consideration because they can also cause this disease such as the time and manner of eating as well as smoking and extreme exercise, or in more general word, our lifestyle.
The most important lifestyle habit that you need to reassess if you want to avoid Acid Reflux is your eating habit. The first thing to consider is the kind of food you eat. Some kinds of food can cause this disease for sure and others can help you to lessen it. Among the kinds of food that can cause Acid Reflux are sweets (candy, cakes, donuts and chocolate), any kind of fats, citric acid (fruits), caffeine and alcohol. After you are sure that you don’t eat those kinds of food, next you have to make sure that you eat them in the right way because how and when you eat is as important as the food itself. Remember that eating small portions of food but regularly is healthier than eating a large one but only once. Also, lying down or sleeping after you eat is also a cause of this disease. So it’s not true that lying down is a way to give your stomach a rest after a heavy meal. Instead, it even makes your acid reflux.
Another habit that causes Acid Reflux is smoking. Smoking does not fall into the category of the disease’s cause only because it is said to be generally bad for your health, but also because tobacco has a bad side effect of relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter which then makes acid to reflux into the esophagus. To quit smoking is not easily done than it is said indeed, but once you can achieve it you will not only free yourself of this serious disease, but also keep your overall health. Beside quitting smoking, there is one more habit that can give you those two benefits. What is it? The answer can be easily guessed. Yes, it is doing exercise. Doing exercise can prevent this disease not only because obesity is known to always go hand in hand with acid reflux, but also because it helps you to digest your food and prevents acid from pushing back up from your stomach. How much exercise you need is still inconclusive, but one thing that is sure is that extreme exercise is not the answer. Extreme exercise can aggravate the acid in your stomach and cause it to reflux.
In conclusion, Acid Reflux Disease is an illness that you give to your own body when you don’t want to pay attention to your lifestyle, and can be cured by changing it to a healthier one. Nonetheless, consulting to a medical professional is always a good thing to start before you treat yourself what you believe can prevent Acid Reflux Disease.
Recent Comments