Lifestyle changes might be the only therapy you need in order to control your acid reflux especially if you have only intermittent or mild symptoms. It is possible to prevent episodes of symptomatic GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) just by simply modifying your diet and behaviors. Being aware of what foods and activities are potential problems will help you in determining what factors in your life might be causing your acid reflux disease symptoms.

Meals, Bedtime and Body Position

The general rule is avoid lying down right after a heavy meal or snack. You should remain upright at least for three to four hours to prevent acid from refluxing back into the esophagus. The explanation is simple. When you are lying down, the esophagus and stomach are essentially on the same level. This enables the acid to roll back into the esophagus very easily and thus causing the attack of GERD symptoms like heartburn or acid regurgitation.

The size of the meal also greatly matters. Avoid eating heavy dinner as it can add pressure to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), thus weakening it and preventing it from closing properly. It is therefore recommended to eat only a small meal at night or better yet, eat frequent smaller portions during the day.

Another step to avoid reflux episode is elevate the head of the bed before sleeping. Night time can be the worse time of the day to experience the symptoms of GERD and it can even disrupt you in your sleep. The reason being, when you sleep, you produce less saliva and swallow less often which causes the stomach acid to be more concentrated therefore causing irritation. By elevating the head of the bed by adding pillows for instance, you help reduce the flow of acid into the lower esophagus.

Meal Size and Types of Food
The recommended food habit for GERD sufferers is to eat frequent small meals that are low in fat instead of less-frequent big meals. Smaller lower fat meals do not stay in the stomach as long when compared to larger meals. This gives the stomach acid less chance of splashing back into the esophagus. Large meals, on the other hand, fills up the stomach and thus more likely to cause pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) allowing the contents of the stomach to reflux back into the esophagus and thus causing the attack of GERD.

Foods that are high in fats tend to weaken the LES and can really wreak havoc. It is therefore important to adopt a diet low in fat if you want to lessen the attack. Other foods to avoid with acid reflux are caffeine, chocolate, licorice, spearmint, peppermint, teas, alcohols as well as highly acidic foods such as citrus and tomatoes. It is best to observe to find out which of these foods are entirely safe for you and which ones actually cause problems.

Smoking and Alcohol
Refraining from smoking is probably one of the most important changes you can make if you are suffering from acid reflux. It encourages not only GERD itself from other types of pulmonary diseases as well. Smoking increases the risk even higher since the smoke you draw into the esophagus irritates the already damaged tissue. Moreover, you can be in danger for further complications such as esophagitis, Barret’s esophagus and esophageal cancer.

Alcohols like wine, beer, vodka, champagne etc. can increase the production of stomach acid and just like cigarette, can irritate the lining on lining of the esophagus and reduces LES pressure. They are also carbonated drinks that can cause build up of gas in the stomach which in turn can result in GERD.

Obesity and Pregnancy
It is always recommended not only because of GERD but for general health reasons as well to maintain an appropriate weight for your age and height. If you are obese or overweight, the pressure inside the abdominal cavity is increased which in turn increases the workload of the LES which makes it weak in terms of fighting the reflux of acid. Like what was mentioned above, make your diet low in fat and try to consume healthy meals.
Many women experience frequent heartburn during pregnancy. This is because there is an increase pressure in the abdominal cavity because of the fetus growing inside her uterus. Studies, however have shown that symptoms declines as pregnancy progresses.

Tight Clothing
Clothing like pants or skirt that fit tightly around the waist can increase pressure in the abdomen and thus lessening the effectivity of the LES in preventing acid from refluxing. This is the same thing with belt, elastic waistbands, garters and girdles that fit snugly around the stomach and puts constant pressure on it. These are proven culprits in the attack of acid reflux so avoid by all means.

Stress
Stress can sometimes be a contributing factor to your frequent GERD attacks. Try to involve yourself in any activity that can relax you like yoga or maybe just simply watching funny movies. Try to find time for yourself by relaxing and reducing stress as it can increase your over all health and well-being.