How to Manage Severe Heartburn

Heartburn sufferers are advised to: One, lose weight, two, regularly take their antacids, three, avoid foods that trigger heartburn, and, four, plan their menu around a low-acid diet. When religiously followed, such guideline should save others from the nagging pain of heartburn. But for others managing heartburn isn’t exactly that easy. In spite following your [...]

Heartburn sufferers are advised to: One, lose weight, two, regularly take their antacids, three, avoid foods that trigger heartburn, and, four, plan their menu around a low-acid diet. When religiously followed, such guideline should save others from the nagging pain of heartburn. But for others managing heartburn isn’t exactly that easy.

In spite following your doctor’s advice down to the last letter, you may wonder why you still suffer from heartburn. Here are some reasons why:

Eating more than what you need. And we’re not talking about what you can handle. I know a lot of people who feel that they need to reward themselves for eating right, that is, heartburn-safe foods. Though there is nothing wrong with this concept, rewarding yourself by eating too much of a good thing isn’t exactly healthy. A full stomach adds unnecessary pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which, in return, opens up allowing stomach contents back up the esophagus.

Managing heartburn not only requires eating right but also doing it right. Eating five – even six – smaller meals during the day is more recommended than having three large ones.

Trying new foods. Do you often find yourself hopping from one resto to another every night? Your palate may be having a blast but chances are you aren’t. Heartburn is one thing that you may expect after a night of trying out one signature dish after another.

But heartburn should not stop you from doing what you love most. Keeping a food diary can help you determine which food you need to eating and which resto you need to stop patronizing. Here you need to list what food you eat and when you eat it. One thing you could not afford to leave out: Whether you have had heartburn afterward. Try to see a pattern. If you have heartburn repeatedly after eating one of the foods on your list, you may want to avoid such for a week or so and see if your condition improves.

Not knowing your real condition. The most important question you can ask your doctor is what causes your heartburn. You may eat healthy, take antacids as prescribed by your doctor, and steadily make necessary changes in your lifestyle, but not treating what really causes the burn is like throwing everything that you have worked for straight to the bin.

See your doctor so you can rule out other conditions that may cause heartburn like hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Not sleeping right. If you have been awakened by heartburn at night, you may want to check some bedtime habits before you hit the sack: It could be that you are lying too flat or immediately dozing off after eating. For a heartburn-free sleep, you may want to: (1) Schedule dinner at least two hours before bedtime, (2) sleep on your left as studies show that sleeping on the left side actually reduces the occurrence of heartburn, and (3) elevate the head of the bed.

If you are still having difficulty managing your heartburn, you may want to visit your doctor and ask for your condition to be re-assessed. If you are already taking a proton pump inhibitor, you may need a new medication to better control your condition. Together you can formulate and decide on a more effective treatment plan that can truly work you.

Travel In Style: How To Enjoy The View Without The Burn

Life is to be lived with joy. With so many places to go, view to enjoy, and sceneries to love, traveling is undeniably one of the greatest pleasures of living. But for others vacation and traveling can be a nightmare. Heartburn is one of the worst reasons why most people take the sidelines when others [...]

Life is to be lived with joy. With so many places to go, view to enjoy, and sceneries to love, traveling is undeniably one of the greatest pleasures of living. But for others vacation and traveling can be a nightmare.

Heartburn is one of the worst reasons why most people take the sidelines when others call for the road: irregular meals and unusual menu are but some of the reasons why traveling can be a nightmare to people with heartburn. Most people really do cut loose when they are on vacation, says Locke. They drink a lot, eat a lot, and tune in late, and these are really some of the things that people with heartburn should avoid during traveling, notes Locke. But heartburn shouldn’t get in the way of living life, even of your leisure itinerary. Here are some tips to keep you moving, and keep heartburn at bay.

Know what goes in your body, like food and drinks. It may sound odd but you really have to eat right, even if you don’t want to. Stirring away from fatty and greasy food, citrus and exotic fruits, and some booze may not exactly be your picture of fun, but it’s better this than be left in your hotel room feeling sick. Try (and try hard) to eat right and carefully, says Cheskin. In fact, vacation and traveling to exotic places shouldn’t be bland. You don’t have to eat crackers. By sensibly choosing what and how much goes in your mouth, savoring local menus shouldn’t be that bad, says Locke.

No gulp. Drink moderately, that is. Not only should you stir away from booze, you need to drink right. Mixes with citrus are also known to bring on the burn. It may be refreshing to drink but it may mean a hot acid-bath to your esophagus.

Eat more, eat less. Contradicting? Not really. People with heartburn are recommended to eat more frequently with smaller proportion. Don’t have a long waiting time before nibbling on something healthy. Getting hungry and consuming bigger food portion afterwards is more likely to trigger heartburn. Schedule your meals within the day. In this way, you can have a healthy appetite while enjoying the view.

Opt for comfortable clothing. Sure, what’s a day on the beach without wearing your favorite bikini – that became a size smaller since last year? Fitting in your oh-so-tight bikini may make you feel glam and all, but it’s going to be terrible news for your esophagus. Tight clothing (yes, even your bikini) puts pressure on your stomach area and is likely to get you feeling down with GERD symptoms. Wear comfortable clothing instead. After all, scoring a nombril and string strap halter is elegantly dangerous.

Sleep right. You know how late festivities and parties come in? Unfortunately, they’re bad for you. Getting the right amount of snooze time is not only great for your itinerary but can also keep the GERD symptoms at bay. The general rule: oversleeping and staying up late are two things you should maintain on your to-do list. It may be tempting to explore the city at nighttime, but give yourself a favor, tune in early and give your body enough energy to tour the whole area before sunrise.

Check your medication. And make sure that you have them placed always at your handy purse. Double-check, and re-check again. A day before you go on board, buy enough supplies to last your travel time and more. You wouldn’t mind packing up extras whenever you’re on the road. Hoping and wishing that a pharmacy or local drugstore will pop in the view is not going to help. If your doctor recommends taking prescription meds, make sure that you inform him that you need to bring extra pills for traveling just to be safe.