Heartburn: You Are What You Eat
27th March, 2009Heartburn, also known as acid reflux, is a condition of the digestive system that can be very uncomfortable. It’s the result of digestive acids in your stomach that, for various reasons, travel up to your esophagus.
An attack of heartburn makes itself known through unmistakable symptoms. A burning feeling in the throat and chest is the most frequently experienced symptom. Difficulty in swallowing, a tight throat and ongoing belching are other signs of heartburn.
Visit your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis, so that you can know the severity of your condition. Perhaps you’ll get a prescription medication to treat the condition. However, your doctor is quite likely to recommend that you eliminate certain foods from your diet.
You’ve probably noticed that your heartburn is most likely to occur after a big meal containing certain foods. Foods that cause heartburn are high in acid, like citrus fruit and tomatoes. Other common triggers are fatty foods and fried foods. And spicy foods such as garlic, onions, pepper and chili will also cause problems.
Even some foods that are healthy in other ways can unfortunately lead to painful heartburn symptoms. These include vegetables such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli.
Food isn’t the only cause of heartburn symptoms. Things you drink can also result in this distressing situation. You’ll need to stay away from caffeinated beverages. This means, tea, coffee and various soft drinks.
The type of food you eat isn’t the only consideration. You also need to monitor the quantities you’re consuming. Very often a heavy meal will lead to heartburn. Sometimes it’s just too difficult for your stomach to process such a large quantity of food. It ends up returning to the esophagus, carrying with it the stomach acids that were starting to break it down.
In order to figure out your triggers, you should keep a food diary detailing everything you eat in a day. This will help you determine which foods or beverages are causing your heartburn. Whenever you feel the burn of acid reflux, be aware of what you’ve just eaten.
It can be hard to change your eating habits, though. You need to start small. Begin by setting a goal, such as committing to eating smaller meals. Then start eliminating certain foods from your diet.
The best way to manage heartburn is to change your eating habits. In the beginning you’ll likely feel deprived. However, it’s important that you keep in mind the consequences of not paying attention to what you eat. You’ll never experience total heartburn relief if you don’t make changes to your lifestyle.
Tags: acid reflux, heartburn