Heartburn - What You Can Do To Fight GERD

Heartburn - What You Can Do To Prevent GERD And Relieve The Symptoms

Spicy foods are one of the causes of heartburn

Hi Ladies. You know heartburn? Of course you do. As we age, it seems to be always something “out of sorts”, going in our bodies. GERD, as doctors call it, is one of them. It means Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

It can be caused by factors listed below:

You are overweight.
You are pregnant.
You have a hiatal hernia. (an opening into a body organ)
You eat too much.
You lie down too soon after eating.
You wear tight clothes that push on your stomach.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Come on, think about it.

Here is a list of foods that will cause terrible heartburn:

foods high in fat
sugar
chocolate
peppermint
onions
citrus foods such as orange juice
tomato-based foods
spicy foods
coffee and other drinks with caffeine, such as tea and colas
alcohol
taking certain medicines, such as aspirin
smoking cigarettes.

Don’t you just hate this list? It has so many of our favorite goodie’s on it.

I have given up many of these or eat them occasionally. But I was crushed when it seemed spaghetti was causing GERD (the tomato sauce). I love spaghetti. :-)

What are your favorites? How do you usually treat the pain?

Occasional attacks are not so bad but……..

You should see your healthcare provider if:

You have heartburn nearly every day for 2 weeks.
It comes back when the antacid wears off.
It wakes you up at night.

After you have seen your healthcare provider, here are some things you can do to relieve your symptoms:

Eat light meals, wear loose clothing, and lose any excess weight.
Lose weight if you are overweight.
Take non-prescription antacids (tablets or liquid) after meals and at bedtime.
Raise the head of your bed or use more than one pillow so your head is higher than your stomach. This may allow gravity to help reduce your symptoms.

If certain foods or drinks seem to cause your symptoms or make them worse, avoid those foods. :-( (I hear your moaning already). I am fairly certain you know what they are.

Need more tips and advice? In Stop Acid Reflux Now! Kathryn Whittaker discusses digestion problems such as acid reflux, GERD, gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome. Her tips on relieving symptoms of GERD and other issues discussed in this ebook, have worked exceptionally well for me and others.

If simple measures do not relieve the symptoms, your healthcare provider may prescribe medicine. The prescription medicines help reduce stomach acid, and also help with stomach emptying. Very few people need surgery for this condition.

Get emergency care if the following symptoms occur with the heartburn and do not go away within 15 minutes of treatment: shortness of breath; sweating; weakness; or arm, back, or chest pain. This is serious. Please recognize and know that these are symptoms of heart attack.

Protect Your Health!

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