How To Manage Your Acid Reflux
If you have acid reflux, you may often think about how to manage your acid reflux. The answers may elude you, or you may have been given some answers by your doctor. Below you will find some handy tips for managing your acid reflux. Take the answers your doctor gave you, add them to these handy tips, print them out and keep them on hand as you go through your daily tasks. See if having these answers and tips with you during the day helps you to manage your acid reflux better.
First, successfully living with acid reflux demands that you learn how to manage the symptoms that you have, in order to live more comfortably.
Second, learn how to surround yourself with tools that will benefit your ability to manage your acid reflux. One such tool is going to be your acid reflux journal (choosing a format for your journal that is printable will be of great service). In this journal, write down your daily events (if any) that you have, regarding your acid reflux. Under each entry write down the symptoms you experienced during each event. Write down what treatment methods you used to bring comfort during each event. Next to each method, record the results (did the treatment work?). Now, the next time you have a doctor appointment, print out the relevant page(s) of your acid reflux journal and bring them with you so that your doctor can review the events, the treatment methods you utilized to handle them, and the results you received. Your doctor can then help you to modify your treatment plan if necessary so that you are managing your acid reflux to the best of your ability.
Third, we all know that we should exercise daily in order to stay fit. Exercise can lead to more acid reflux so follow these tips to prevent an episode of acid reflux while exercising:
Do not exercise until 2 hours have past after eating
If you know you are going to be exercising following a meal, plan what you eat so that you can avoid acid reflux by avoiding foods that are more likely to give you reflux such as caffeinated drinks, fatty or spicy foods, citrus juices, and chocolate.
Drink water and lots of it, before, during and after your exercise period. When you are keeping your body hydrated, this aids in your digestion.
If you notice any pain in the chest region, take it seriously because sometimes acid reflux pain and pain from heart issues induced by exercise can be difficult to distinguish between.
Always make sure that you take your acid reflux medications as prescribed, or over-the-counter H2 blockers like Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantac. Follow any instructions your doctor gave regarding exercising and medications.
Be careful about which exercises you participate in because any that require that you bounce or “jiggle” a lot is more likely to aggravate your acid reflux.
Fourth, learn what foods tend to set off your acid reflux and avoid them. Locate recipes that are “stomach-friendly” and keep them handy for meal preparation and shopping trips.
You can learn how to manage your acid reflux, just take it day-by-day, follow doctors instructions, devise a daily plan to manage your acid reflux by utilizing the above tools and any others that your doctor advices or tools that have been recommended by others with acid reflux that you meet during support group meetings.
