Saturday, November 6, 2010

Acid Reflux Food Plan

 The key to preventing acid reflux or heartburn is to get on a proper diet plan. Not only will it help you with your acid reflux symptoms it will help you get into better shape.

A proper food plan can also prevent other sorts of digestive problems that could be associated with acid reflux or heartburn.

It is important that you find the right plan that fits you. Knowing what foods to avoid is the key to preventing or relieving your acid reflux symptoms. Most acid reflux sufferers will find relief by eliminating the foods that cause them their acid reflux condition.


High fat foods such as fried foods, high fat dairy products and high fat meats. Foods high in acid are also large contributors of acid reflux. Foods high in acid content include citrus fruits such as lemons, grapefruits and oranges. High acid vegetables include tomatoes and onions. There are drinks that cause acid reflux such as caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea. Soda pop can also contribute to acid reflux. If these types of foods and drinks cause your acid reflux symptoms then it is important that you eliminate them from your diet.

The importance of a proper food plan is imperative in controlling your acid reflux symptoms. It means that foods you really enjoy cannot be a part of your new food plan. Foods with a lot of spice and pepper are out. Fruits and vegetables that are gassy should not be in your food plan as well. Unfortunately, this means that some healthy choices are not a part of your food plan. Supplements can replace the gassy fruits and vegetables.

The safest beverages for the acid reflux sufferer are water, mineral water, no fat or low fat milk, decaffeinated tea or non-citrus juices. A diet high in fiber will usually lead to less acid reflux symptoms. Fiber is in whole grains, some fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. Unprocessed foods are the best foods to choose when considering an acid reflux food plan.

You may want to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks to keep track of what foods cause you acid reflux symptoms and what foods do not cause the symptoms.

Consult a Doctor or Nutritionist so they can advise a new food plan based on your findings from your two-week review period.

It is very important to consult your doctor before altering your diet. Find out whether you really have acid reflux or not. If you do have acid reflux then a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle will go a long way in relieving you of your acid reflux symptoms.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Where to Find Acid Reflux Information You Can Trust

Every year, millions of people experience the severe heartburn that is associated with acid reflux. The contents of the stomach come up into the esophagus and the mouth because of a weak esophageal sphincter. The stomach acids that are required for digestion can cause the person extreme pain and burning when they come up. If you do not get treatment for the acid reflux, damage to the organs involved could occur.

There is some argument about the increase in acid reflux sufferers. The sedentary lifestyle that is being led in America and the high fat diet consisting of sugar and caffeine make the acid reflux worse. Acid reflux information is necessary now more than ever because of the increasing number of acid reflux disease sufferers.

You can treat your acid reflux with prescription and over the counter medications. These medications will need to be combined with lifestyle changes to help to lessen your symptoms. You will also need to loose weight if needed, sleep raised up and follow a proper diet. You can really help yourself if you have acid reflux information available to you.

Your doctor is the best source of acid reflux information. Pay your doctor a visit before you decide to do anything for your acid reflux condition. You can get a lot of correct acid reflux information such as treatments and the causes of acid reflux disease. Your doctor can also offer you a personal treatment plan designed just for you. A plan can consist of lifestyle changes and taking acid reflux medications.

You can also get a multitude of acid reflux information on the Internet. Google search can be an invaluable tool and you can gain access to millions of websites. WebMD.com can give you the technical acid reflux information. Other sites can offer you a place to connect with others who also suffer from acid reflux and they can give you support and additional acid reflux information.

Beware though. You should take each bit of acid reflux information that you read on the Internet very cautiously. Some of the home remedies that are listed on certain sites can be useful, but some can make it worse. For instance, apple cider vinegar is an effective acid reflux reliever. Some people feel that it may be a cure while others feel that it makes things worse. You really need professional medical advice over alternate cures


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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Knowing When It's Time to Consider Acid Reflux Medication

If you have been recently diagnosed with acid reflux disease, you may be thinking about acid reflux medication as treatment for it.

As you work with your doctor, he or she will want to try other treatment options before putting you on prescription acid reflux medication.

If the other treatments are not doing anything for your acid reflux problem, your doctor may want to put you on some type of acid reflux medication.

Other Treatments to Try Before Taking Acid Reflux Medication

You doctor will want you to try to change your lifestyle before prescribing acid reflux medication. These changes include cutting the amount of alcohol and coffee you take, giving up smoking, avoiding certain foods that trigger your acid reflux, and keeping your weight to a manageable level. You will also need to change the way you eat by having smaller meals more often. All these lifestyle changes will help you to control the acid that is produced.

When There is No Other Choice but the Acid Reflux Medication

When you have tried all the lifestyle changes that your doctor has given you and there is still no change -or it is not a noticeable one, you may need to add some over-the0counter acid reflux medication. Antacids will help you to keep your acid level down. You may be also asked to take the antacids right before the doctor runs tests so that your doctor can decide if the problem is acid reflux or something else. It is not necessary for your doctor to do anything more if the non-prescription acid reflux medication is working.

However, if the acid reflux medication does not work or shows little improvement with the heartburn, the damage that can be done gets more serious. Your doctor may want to try another method of treatment to stop any problems with the larynx and esophagus and the pain that comes with it. Your doctor may go to the next step and prescribe some stronger acid reflux medication for you.

You will need to follow the directions and take it on a regular basis. There is not really a time frame on how long you may be taking the acid reflux medication. The acid reflux medication will include histamine-2 blockers. They are commonly known as Zantac or Pepcid. You may also take proton-pump inhibitors called Prilosec or Prevacid. These acid reflux medications will also be taken before any tests are run to make sure that they are working for you.


Acid reflux sufferers have many treatments that are available to them. Your doctor will have many different options he or she may want you to try before the next step is taken. Your doctor will give you the acid reflux medication only after you have tried changing your lifestyle and doing so has not worked for you. When you find the right acid reflux medication to help you, you will find the relief that you have been looking for.


 
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