Popular TV commercials might have you believing that what you eat is the main culprit of heartburn. That oversized taco that almost takes down a grown woman or the pesky meatball that messes with an unsuspecting male may be pretty persuasive. But the reality is there’s more to relieving the discomfort of heartburn from acid reflux than simply avoiding certain foods and beverages.
The timing and size of your meals can matter greatly, which makes meal planning an important part of keeping heartburn and other symptoms of acid reflux at bay. To better understand why certain things matter when it comes to heartburn prevention, it might be helpful to first understand what causes heartburn.
Why Heartburn Happens
When you eat, food passes from your throat through your esophagus on the way to your stomach. The esophageal sphincter muscle (LES) sits where the lower end of the esophagus connects to the stomach. In people with frequent heartburn, the LES may be weak or relax too frequently. If it doesn’t close all the way, stomach acid is allowed to travel the wrong way back into the esophagus.
“Heartburn happens when the lining of the esophagus comes in contact with too much stomach acid, producing a burning feeling in the chest,” says gastroenterologist Navakanth Gorrepati, M.D., of Texas Health Digestive Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice in Fort Worth. “Other symptoms may result as well, including a bitter taste in the mouth and hoarseness.”
More than 15 million Americans experience heartburn symptoms each day. Most people can manage the discomfort of periodic heartburn on their own with lifestyle changes and nonprescription medications such as antacids.
With a few tips at your disposal, you’ll be in a position to prevent heartburn from being anything but a minor nuisance. It all starts with meal planning that includes avoiding certain foods and beverages known to irritate the lining of the esophagus or weaken the LES muscle.
Common Food Triggers for Heartburn
- Fatty and spicy foods
- Chocolate
- Tomato products
- Caffeinated coffee and tea
- Carbonated beverages and citrus drinks
- Alcohol
- Peppermint
Source: American College of Gastroenterology
“The best way to avoid having heartburn is to know what sets your digestive system off,” Gorrepati says. “If you see a pattern of heartburn develop repeatedly after eating certain things, you can work around those foods when meal planning and eating out for better ongoing digestive health.”
Gorrepati offers these additional five ways to prevent occasional heartburn from creeping into your life:
- Avoid heavy meals within 3 hours of bedtime (especially ones that include food triggers).
Gravity comes into play here. When you lie down, it’s easier for stomach contents to back up into the esophagus and throat. Sitting up or standing helps stomach contents stay where they belong, at the bottom of the stomach.
Eating a heavy meal before bed only adds to the problem. The greater volume of contents in the stomach, the more likely that contents will head back toward the esophagus.
- Lose weight.
Extra weight around the mid-section can cause pressure against the stomach and encourage stomach acid from a meal to splash up into the esophagus.
- Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol.
Smoking and alcohol weaken the LES muscle and may slow how quickly stomach acid clears the esophagus and stomach. It’s best to avoid both before, during, or after meals that seem to result in heartburn.
- Sleep on your left side to ease nighttime heartburn.
The Sleep Foundation reports that studies have found sleeping on your left side to be the best sleeping position if you suffer from heartburn. Sleeping with your left side down reduces reflux episodes and exposure of the esophagus to stomach acid. The Sleep Foundation also says that sleeping in other positions, including on your back, can make reflux more likely. If sleep apnea is diagnosed, the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine may prevent reflux.
- Raise the head of your bed 6 to 8 inches.
In addition to sleeping on your left side, you may want to consider propping up the top of your bed by at least 6 inches to cut down on reflux symptoms when lying down. The use of an adjustable bed frame is one way to raise your head beyond simply layering lots of pillows (which can lead to neck strain).
“Persistent symptoms of heartburn and reflux should not be ignored,” Gorrepati notes. “Longstanding, untreated heartburn increases the risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition, or esophageal cancer. By seeing a gastroenterologist early on, the physical cause of your symptoms can likely be treated and more serious problems can be avoided.”
Ready to address your digestive health? Take our acid reflux health assessment.
Texas Health offers a network of digestive health specialists to help you live more comfortably. Know when to see a gastroenterologist and find one near you at TexasHealth.org.