11 ways to get rid of Acid reflux 😠

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

Reflux is the upward movement of the material from the stomach to the oesophagus through the lower oesophageal sphincter. The content of the material can be acid, food or air now and then. Usually, the sphincter remains tight, but when it becomes loose, stomach content migrates to the oesophagus.

Common causes of Acid reflux can be:

1.Overweight or obese.
2.Pregnancy
3.Hiatus Hernia (when part of the stomach bulges out into the chest through the diaphragm)
4.Eating a heavy meal and lying down on the right side or bending forward.


5.Drinking fizzy, carbonated drinks or alcohol.
6.Smoking.


7.Having too many beverages, like tea and coffee.
8.Intake of blood pressure medication or pain killers.

Commonly occurring symptoms are :

Burning sensation behind the sternum/breast bone. Also known as heartburn.
Belching/ Regurgitation of food.
Acidic taste in the mouth.
Atypical symptoms like coughing at night.

Acid reflux pain or heartburn can be very annoying and uncomfortable. If the episodes become frequent, the diagnosis is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The condition is diagnosed based on physical symptoms. But in prolonged cases, or frequent episodes, or in case of hiatus hernia, oesophageal stricture, diagnosis is done by ultrasound and CT scan. The treatment recommended with medication proton pump inhibitors, Omeprazole. In severe cases, some may require surgery.

But, there are several Lifestyle measures which we can adapt to reduce Acid reflux:

1. Changing the eating pattern by avoiding eating late at night. Avoiding large, heavy meal.

2. Getting rid of trigger foods like spicy, fried, citrous or even tomato-based food items.

3. Eating small meals at regular intervals and eating slowly by chewing properly.

4. Avoiding carbonated and fizzy drinks, avoiding alcohol, too much tea and coffee.

5. Quitting Smoking.

6. Destressing yourself before meals like by taking 5-6 deep breaths before each meal.

7. Don’t eat 2-3 hours before going to bed.

8. Sleeping on the left side so that it decreases the pressure on the lower oesophageal sphincter and reduces gastric stress.

9. Using a pillow of sufficient height to support the head so that the abdomen and oesophagus are all in alignment.

10. Avoid tight clothing which may again cause gastric pressure and on the oesophageal sphincter.

11. Food preferred are


Green leafy vegetables
Non-citrous fruits
Oatmeal
Eggs
Lean meat and fish
Probiotics like yoghurt, buttermilk
Fennel seeds
Winter melon/Ash gourd
Ginger/turmeric


Aloe vera
Healthy fats like avocado, walnut.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

 

 

 

 

All about bloating 🙄

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

Bloating is quite common after having a heavy meal or drinking a big can of fizzy drink. It’s a feeling of abdominal fullness due to mostly build-up of gas. It can also happen whenever we binge on fried foods. So, it a common stomach issue, associated with some gastrointestinal disorders.

The underlying causes can be:

1.Drinking carbonated drinks.
2.Swallowing too much air while eating too fast.
3.Overeating.
4.Constipation.
5.Irritable bowel disorder.
6.Food intolerance like – gluten, lactose (dairy), fructose.
7.Food allergy.
8.Celiac disease.


9.Gas forming foods like lentils, legumes, beans.
10.Parasite infestation.
11.Polycystic ovarian syndrome.
12.Diverticulosis.
13.Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
14.Dehydration.
15.Abdominal tumours like cancers of stomach, uterus, ovary, liver.

Bloating is usually short-lived and relieved with passing of motion and increasing physical mobility. Usually, trigger food items or fizzy drinks should be avoided. Bloating is mistaken for distention which is different. Distention is when the abdomen is visibly swollen. It is usually associated with pain and has an underlying cause which needs investigation. Bloating can have a sense of fullness and a vague sharp pain too. If there are repeated episodes or a constant feeling of bloating, the underlying cause needs to be thoroughly investigated. A visit to a doctor, physical examination, ultrasound, CT scan, endoscopy are some of the methods to diagnose the underlying cause. And, the treatment would depend on the clinical and radiology assessment.

But commonly bloating can be relieved by taking some self-help measures:

1. When you suffer from bloating, you tend to notice the food items which precipitate such episodes. So, it is wise to avoid the trigger of food items.
2.Avoiding fizzy drinks and carbonated drinks.


3. Chewing and eating food slowly can facilitate better digestion.

4. The intake of fluid and water should be increased to avoid constipation.
5. Avoiding gas-forming foods like lentils, beans if they make you uncomfortable after consuming.

6. Intake of more fibrous foods which are helpful to form the stool bulk.


7.Reducing stress by meditation, mindfulness, exercise, yoga. Because a stressed mind brings our body to the sympathetic mode, which is fight or flight mode. In such a state, the body’s digestive capacity is inadequate.


8. Eating small meals with regular intervals instead of a heavy meal.
9. Regular exercise and physical mobility ensures better digestion.


10. Eating probiotics daily like yoghurt, Kimchi, saurkraut.


11. Avoiding sugar alcohol like xylitol, sorbitol, or mannitol which are found in sugar-free drinks and chewing gums.
12. Give yourself time in making diet changes. Taking small steps slowly in the diet is wise. Having too much of plant-based food suddenly or fibres consumed can cause bloating.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much to all 💐