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Facts & Tips
•Increase of GERD incidents after age 40
•Excessive production of digestive juices contributes to acid reflux.
•Foods that are rich in fat, milk, caffeine-based products, fruit juices, spicy foods, fried foods, peppermint, chocolate, alcoholic beverages and smoking. can acerbate the problem.
•Symptoms often worsen during physical activity, during and after eating, and when lying down.
•In Western countries 1 in 5 people suffer from heartburn at least once a week.
•Eating large meals and too close to bedtime can lead to incidents of acid reflux.
•Obese people suffer from a higher rate of occurrences of acid reflux.
•Aspirin, oral contraceptives, iron supplements and tetracycline can weaken the LES, leading to acid leakage.
•GERD may lead to reflux esophagitis, damaging the esophagus so that swallowing certain foods is painful.
•If you suffer from GERD you may experience frequent coughing, hoarseness, a sore throat, and may develop asthma or wheezing.
•When diagnosing GERD a doctor can usually do so by symptoms evident and rate of occurrence. They may perform an endoscopy by running a tube with light and camera down into your esophagus to determine the extent of any damage.
•Living with acid reflux is possible. You will want to keep a journal of when and what you eat to determine which foods and meal times trigger an incident.
•Eat 2-3 hours prior to sleep, don’t lay down after a meal and ear 4 or 5 small meals rather than larger meals.
•You may consider raising the head of your bed 6 inches to create a slight incline to decrease acid reflux while sleeping.
•Many doctors will try and treat GERD with medications, but a number of natural remedies do exist.
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