Things to Avoid with Acid Reflux

Being able to identify and get ahead of the problem is always fantastic on those occasions you can thwart reflux. That doesn’t mean carrying tablets at all times and having an acute sense of reactions in the body.

Oncoming warning signs include:

• Cramps
• The sensation of wanting to swallow
• The urge to burp
• Hiccups
• A sour or salty taste when you haven’t been eating

Everyone has different indicators for acid reflux, especially if someone has Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) – although please remember that GORD is related to reflux and not the same thing.

Picking up on these signals can be a sign to stop eating food that will lead to reflux, or prepare yourself.

Much like having specific body triggers, the same goes for eating. Not everyone will feel the same way after eating the same foods. For example, while someone may get reflux after having a rich dish like curry, someone else eating the same meal could have reflux due to drinking fizzy pop or having more onions from a side salad or bhaji (onions being a trigger food).

It helps to know what some of the standard trigger foods are, but it’s much more important to realise what affects you. A quick way to identify this is by quickly making a note of what you’ve recently eaten or drunk when you get reflux. If you can keep a record, you’ll be able to pick up on common themes and know where the cause lies.

The range of what it could be is quite broad; many people don’t know that coffee, mint and even bananas are triggers.

Don’t drink water but grab some milk.

Eat a banana.

Sit up for half an hour.

There is an endless list of tips that sound like old wives tales, and it helps to get your facts straight. We mentioned bananas as a trigger food, but some people swear by them being good acid relievers. The truth is that bananas change their pH levels as they ripen, so while a ripe banana with a black spot or two may relieve discomfort, a green or bright yellow banana will still have a higher concentration of starch; something which reflux loves.

Other misconceptions like water not being any help (it will provide some relief for your throat, but won’t raise pH levels in the stomach too much), and sitting up being an instant help (posture does affect reflux) do rely on some common sense, but you should know that there are falsehoods that you should check out before acting on sage advice.

It can be common for individuals to start getting acid reflux while on specific medication without realising it. For example, taking anti-inflammatory tablets, bisphosphonates and some over the counter tablets can contribute to acid reflux.

If you find yourself getting symptoms when using tablets, you should talk to a doctor and get their advice on what to do.

Read more about how to treat acid reflux in this news article.

Would you like to meet with a specialist who can help effectively diagnose and minimise the effects of acid reflux?

You can get in touch with us and let us know what digestive problems you currently have. We can then contact you with options to meet with our specialists and help with acid reflux or any GERD related issues.