Heartburn technically known as GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) is very common these days especially in youngsters. Heartburn is actually acid indigestion, a burning sensation in the central chest or upper central abdomen. It occurs when stomach acid backs up into the tube that conveys food from your mouth to your stomach. It is the major symptom of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Infrequent heartburn is common and no cause for any serious heart disease. Many people can get rid of heartburn just by adopting a healthy lifestyle with some basic doings discussed below. There are eight easiest modifications which can go a long way in order to reverse heartburn before it turns into GERD.

Eat Smaller Meals – Don’t stuff yourself

It’s good not to eat too much to minimize the risks of overfilling your digestive system. So, try your best to eat relatively small meals, chew the food well, and stop eating before you are full. This can help avoid swollenness of your stomach, which is the main cause for GERD. Instead of having larger meals three times a day, you can have four to five smaller meals a day in different timings. Eating smaller meals can also help you in avoiding late meals because your stomach would be already stuffed with 5-6 smaller meals.

Avoid Late Meals – Don’t eat while going to bed

Late meals cause heartburn and may be very serious sometimes. As mentioned above, eat smaller meals nut it doesn’t mean to eat late hours in order to manage 5-6 meals a day. You have to fix a specific time for your meals and stop eating at-least 2 hours before going to bed. To digest your food properly, you have to finish your meals before your sleeping time and avoid lying on bed immediately after eating because food needs to move down your digestive track. So, it’s important to sit up straight while eating. If this isn’t possible and you feel hungry before going to bed, you can eat a small snack that can be digested easily within minutes.

Avoid Problematic Food & Alcoholic Beverages

One of the major causes of heartburn is the food and beverages that we consume. There is a list of food which we should avoid just like junk foods, fatty meals, chocolates, tomatoes, and citrus fruits as well because they can lead to a serious heartburn. And if we talk about drinks or beverages, caffeinated drinks are must thing to avoid. But if you’re addicted to such beverages just like coffee as it can keep you up for the night, better not to take caffeinated drinks closer to bedtime. In case you are too indulged into alcoholic drinks, you can try and limit yourself to just one or two alcoholic beverages at a time.

Stop Smoking

It’s an old saying that smoking kills health. Everybody knows that but are you familiar with the fact that there is a link between smoking and heartburn? Smoking cigarettes is really injurious to health as most of the cigarettes contain upwards of 400 different chemicals. And about 70 of which have been linked to cancer, can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter and cause heartburn. It’s really hard for a smoker to quit smoking immediately but you can have a talk with your doctor for some possible nicotine replacements.

Lean-to Excess Weight

If you are overweight, you are suffering the heartburn for sure. The reason is very simple; the extra weight puts surplus pressure on your abdominal or belly muscles while eating. And this can cause the fillings of your stomach to be pushed up the esophagus or throat. That’s why it’s necessary to balance your weight, losing weight would help to decrease the heaviness in your chest and make the digestion process more comfy. But keep remember, losing weight should be observed as a routine change, not a quick solution to your heartburn problem.

Don’t Wear Tight Clothes

It might sound pointless, but you cannot ignore it if you face heartburn problem. No doubt, it feels good to wear a perfect sized-a tighten clothes but sometimes it goes wrong and cause heartburn. Actually, the problem is that tight clothing can put excessive pressure on your abdomen, which can cause stomach acid and undigested food to be more likely to shoot up your esophagus or gullet. You must avoid wearing a tight belt over the jeans or pants in case you feel heartburn.

Schedule Medications

There are so many people which intake protein supplements or dietary medications in order to keep their body healthy and for other reasons as well. In case, you forget to take your medication on time or take your supplements irregularly, then there are chances to face heartburn. It is because supplements and dietary medications have side effects and if you do not follow the schedule given by your doctor or gym instructor, you may have such heartburn problems. So, try to schedule your medications.

Try Gluten-free Food

I think there would be hardly one study which have found that gluten (a protein in grains like barley, rye, and wheat), may cause heartburn or GERD symptoms. And gluten is the most important thing we have almost in our all food types. Well, you can try reducing gluten from your diet and observe either it makes a difference or not. And if after eliminating gluten from your diet, you are still experiencing heartburn GERD, you must see your doctor. There are proper medications which you can take to ease the heartburn which may cause GERD.

Heartburn that is more frequent may be a sign of a serious condition (GERD) that requires medical care. GERD treatment may require surgery or other procedures but usually medications enclosed in the Custom Medicine Boxes by The Custom Packaging. Consult a doctor and seek immediate help if you feel or experience a severe chest pain, especially when combined with signs such as pain in the arm or difficulty breathing. This kind of chest pain may be a symptom of a heart-attack.