No one to date has been spared of the unsettling heartburn feeling after a heavy meal out or Some medication that reacted adversely with the body fluids. That burning sensation around the chest area can be very alarming and cause unnecessary discomfort. Even with the commonality of this concern, not many people are aware of the various lifestyle changes they can incorporate to avoid the frequency of heartburn or acid reflux significantly. If you are someone who is a victim of sudden heartburn and acid reflux, here are some lifestyle tips that can help you reduce acidity to a bare minimum.
#1 Sleep on Your Left Side
Thorough research and multiple studies have suggested that sleeping on your left side as opposed to the right side at night can reduce the symptoms and effects of acidity or heartburn to a great extent. According to medical experts, when you sleep on your left side, the exposure to acid within the esophagus decreases significantly. On the other hand, sleeping on the right side has an opposite reaction and thus increases the risk of acid reflux in the body.
#2 Eat 2-3 Hours Before Bed
A very effective yet lesser-known lifestyle tip that can provide your body with multiple benefits, other than just reducing acidity is eating early dinner. According to medical professionals, keeping a gap of a minimum of 2 to 3 hours between your last meal and your bedtime plays a vital role in reducing acidity. This is because consuming right before going to bed and then lying down increases the possibility of acid reflux by approximately 5%.
#3 Increase Meal Frequency, Reduce Quantity
Almost all medical experts or nutritionists today greatly emphasised the importance of fuelling the body with frequent meals but in smaller quantities instead of going big on 1-2 meals a day. The majority of the reflux within the esophagus takes place right after you complete a meal as it puts pressure on the esophagus sphincter and that causes the acid from the stomach to go up to the esophagus. To avoid this, consuming meals at a short frequency can allow the body to digest them better and thus reduce the possibility of acidity.
#4 Reduce Coffee Consumption
Sipping on coffee every day is a regular practice for many people today but did you know that coffee increases the possibility of acid reflux by a great percentage? Acidity is considered to be active aftermath of too much caffeine consumption throughout the day as it is known to relax the esophagus sphincter, pushing acidity up to the surface. You do not have to cut down on caffeine or coffee completely but it is recommended to reduce the level of consumption and the frequency to avoid the sensation of constant heartburn.
#5 Mindful Alcohol Intake
Some experts suggest alcohol intake in a balance can be a great advantage to reducing acidity as otherwise there is a direct correlation between higher alcohol consumption to the increase in the symptoms of acidity. The prime reason behind this is the effect of too much alcohol in the body as it increases the level of stomach acid and reduces the effectiveness of the esophagus sphincter, thus pushing the reflux to worsen.
Other than the above-mentioned lifestyle tips that can easily be incorporated into your everyday life, it is always better to keep an open mind about various changes that can help reduce your acidity to a great level. Be mindful of what you eat and when you eat as that alone can help with improved food digestion, pushing acid reflux or heartburn out of the picture completely in no time. Read more about different ways to reduce acidity without major changes in your lifestyle to make more informed lifestyle changes.