Nighttime Heartburn Relief!

Nighttime heartburn not only disrupts your sleep but also negatively affects daytime productivity, impairing your ability to function, focus, and concentrate. Eight out of ten heartburn sufferers experience heartburn symptoms at night. Others get the worst part: heartburn during sleep.

Heartburn during daytime is one thing. But waking up with heartburn is another. Find nighttime heartburn relief with these tips:

Eat right. Plan your dinner – and the rest of your menu – around a light, low-acid diet. Have better and healthier options than acidic, spicy, and non-fatty foods. The DON’Ts of heartburn-safe menu are:

•    High-fat foods. Fatty and greasy foods stay longer in the stomach, which essentially cause more discomfort for many heartburn sufferers.
•    Acidic foods. Which include a seemingly healthy dish of tomatoes and anything tomato-based. Other heartburn no-nos are citrus fruits, such as lemons, grapefruits, and oranges.
•    Drinks that trigger heartburn. And these include some of our all-time fave: carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages, and caffeinated drinks.
•    Chocolate. This temptation contains caffeine, which relaxes the LES making heartburn more likely. Eating more than the recommended serving is definitely a no-no.
•    Spicy foods. Anything peppery and showered with hot sauce provokes heartburn. Other items you need to include in your watch list are peppermint, onions, and garlic.

For dinner, try to limit your plate and palate with healthy alternatives, such as those that are prepared healthier (baked, broiled, or grilled), lean cuts of meat, and herbal teas or just plain water.

Savor foods. Managing heartburn is not only about eating the right foods but also eating it right. The best way to keep heartburn at bay? Take time to really taste your food. Don’t eat too quickly; multi-tasking while having dinner is definitely a no-no for heartburn nighttime sufferers. Don’t tackle your plate like some last-minute project.

To prevent nighttime heartburn, remember to:

•    Schedule your meal
•    Eat at least two hours before bedtime
•    Avoid nightcap
•    Eat more smaller meals than three large ones
•    Watch food portions
•    Avoid midnight or even bedtime snacks

Dress properly. Donning on tight clothes can trigger heartburn. Steer clear of anything with tight waistbands and belts. This probably should not be a problem if you’re heading to bed. But make sure that you wear only heartburn-safe clothes during daytime.

Relax more often. Stress essentially fuels stomach acid production, encouraging heartburn symptoms. Meditating or doing yoga poses is a better, healthier way to end the day than succumbing to stress eating after a long day at work.

Keep a food journal. By keeping track of your eating habits and activities, you can easily and accurately determine what triggers your heartburn and what doesn’t.

Exercise safely. Two things heartburn sufferers need to remember when exercising:  First, don’t workout immediately after a meal and, second, drink plenty of water.

Sleep correctly. Research shows that sleeping on the left actually aids digestion by encouraging the removal of stomach acids. Lying on the right side, on the other hand, has been shown to aggravate heartburn.

If you lay flat on your back, make sure that you sleep with your shoulders and head elevated. You can do this by either using a wedge pillow or placing sturdy blocks under the bedpost to raise your head.

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Tips When Travelling With Acid Reflux And Heartburn

One of which is traveling. Aside from the not-so fun business travels, the spring gives many we-are-here-to-enjoy travelers and road warriors to see, feel, and have fun on the road. But one out of every four American travelers knows that traveling is not fun at all — especially when his heartburn symptoms get in the way. Traveling with heartburn is not easy: An excess baggage you will regret bringing.

Acid reflux can set in without warning, that is, if you do not heed to your doctor’s advice. And heartburn symptoms can ruin everything — from your sleep to your itinerary. People on vacay often forget about their efforts to permanently put a lid on heartburn when they are faced with exotic foods and booze, notes Dr. David Carr-Locke of Women’s Hospital in Boston. And you know that when you have booked a local tour somewhere exotic and truly wonderful, sticking to your safe heartburn diet is really no fun.

But this doesn’t mean that acid reflux symptoms should get in the way of fun. In spite of your don’t-eat-this-and-that perspective when it comes to dining, it is definitely great to hear that there are ways to manage heartburn without being boring.

The Key: Moderation

Know your time. And we are not only talking about keeping tabs of your schedule. When it comes to heartburn sufferers, nothing calls heartburn better than not having your meals on time. Eating, and specifically mindful eating, can significantly reduce your acid reflux episodes. Eat sensibly and be on time can guarantee a heartburn-free vacation. Though this may sound boring, especially if you have booked a guided tour (Imagine when you have to asked the bus driver to pull over just because you have to eat), but, remember, managing heartburn is not easy when you are on the road — especially when there is no drugstore on site.

Practice mindful eating. Sampling local dishes is a must. Savoring exotic dishes should be on everyone’s list — except yours. But you don’t have to worry about having to faking how fun it can be eating crackers and rice while everyone else is on the buffet table. When it comes to heartburn and acid reflux, there are no fast and hard rules that you have to follow. As long as you keep you portions, we are sure that you are safe even if you feel like hopping from table to another.

Drink what is good for you. Aside from keeping hydrated, you also need to practice about drinking well. If you are on your way to the Napa, it may really sound boring if you don’t sip some of the wonderful reds that are offered to all travelers. Again, the key is moderation. The truth is alcoholic drinks should be on top of your list when it comes to heartburn drinks triggers. A glass of wine is okay and healthy; but cocktails and booze shouldn’t tempt you in any way. Never indulge in beers, cocktails, and, yes, even wines. Cocktails that boast of having healthy base like citrus juices should not fill your cup either as it can trigger reflux faster than you can finish your second cup.

Have your meds always with you. Do not think that a drugstore somewhere in the middle of nowhere can save you because chances are they don’t carry your meds. Secure your meds in a convenient pack, something that you can easily fit in your purse. Place it in a bag that you always carry, not in one of your luggage bags you leave in your hotel room. Remember, the easier you can access your meds, the better for you and your tummy.

Also make sure that you bring what the doctor ordered and more. If your doctor asked you to bring six, at least bring eight. These extras can save you because you will never know what will surprise you on the road.

The Secret to Preventing GERD and Acid Reflux Symptoms

Still swigging gallons of milk and popping antacids by default? Chances are you are your heartburn is not getting any cooler. But the good news is that, no matter how worse your acid reflux symptoms are, there is that one GERD treatment that can really put off that burn.

Medications
One of the very first things any heartburn sufferer will immediately reach is his bottle of antacids. But how effective can this method be? Not as much as we want it to. If you want a more lasting relief — one that can save you from the grueling discomfort even before it starts — here is a quick rundown of acid reflux disease treatments that you can discuss with your doctor.

H2 blockers. These items come as OTC and prescription meds. While H2 blockers, such as Pepcid and, of course, Zantac, used to be the standard treatment for heartburn and GERD, they are no longer prescribed as often now. Yes, they may be the very first meds a doctor will recommend for mild cases, but proton pump inhibitors are so much better in getting rid of painful heartburn and GERD symptoms.

H2 blockers are essentially less expensive than proton pump inhibitors, which makes it the perfec choice for those who are in a budget.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI). If you have a bad case of GERD, chances are your doctor has prescribed you one of these. These meds, which include Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid, is really the new standard when it comes to treating GERD. PPIs are key to better managing heartburn and GERD: One, by blocking the production of acid in the stomach and, two, by protecting the esophagus and, therefore, allowing it to recover from damages caused by acid reflux.

PPIs are safe and effective and even used by millions of health experts in diagnosis. It is often difficult to distinguish GERD from heartburn. But one effective way to do it is to simply administer PPIs. If they work, a patient probably has GERD. If they don’t, the patient may have something else.

Prokinetics. Your doctor would have prescribed one of the prescription drugs, such as Urecholine and Reglan, if he thinks that speeding up the emptying of the stomach can help your condition. While prokinetics are often prescribed alongside other GERD treatments, more and more experts are starting to agree that they are rarely helpful.

While it may be tempting to permanently get rid of your heartburn or GERD using any of these treatments, it is important that you ask your doctor if you really need it. Do you really need to sign up with a GERD treatment? Most importantly, does your doctor think so?

There are many reasons to treat GERD and heartburn. And good ones at that. GERD and heartburn has proven to be time and again an inconvenience to many people. When left unattended, heartburn and GERD can be debilitating.

But how will you know if you need and even qualify to any of these available GERD treatments. It is not really about severity but more of frequency. If you have been popping antacids like the manufacturer’s closing down the production later and you are still having symptoms, you may want to check with your doctor and ask for a stronger, more effective med.

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