Sometimes the signs of acid reflux are unmistakeable -- from searing heartburn to sour-tasting acid burbling up in your throat. Sometimes the signs are as vague as hoarseness or a cough. If you experience any of these regularly -- at least twice a week -- talk to your health care provider. You could be among the millions of Americans with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition marked by chronic, frequent acid reflux. Left untreated, it can damage your esophagus and potentially lead to cancer.
Fortunately, these seven strategies can help get GERD under control:
- Say no to bubbles. “The first thing I recommend is that people with GERD look at their diets,” says Linda Lee, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine & Digestive Center in Maryland. “It helps to reduce carbonation, including seltzer water and sodas. Those bubbles can carry up acid from the stomach.”
- Cut the fat. A low-fat diet can minimize acid reflux. “Foods rich in fat will slow down your stomach-emptying and make more stomach acid” because they take longer to digest, Dr. Lee explains. These simple guidelines for low-fat eating can help get your diet on the right track.
- Caffeine alert. Caffeine can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, a valve designed to keep stomach contents -- including gastric acid -- out of the esophagus. “I tell patients they can have a cup of coffee a day if it’s truly just one cup, but not that gigantic cup from Starbucks,” Dr. Lee says. Find out more ways diet can trigger acid reflux.
- Slim down. “For long-term management, I recommend weight loss because it’s an independent factor for more frequent and more severe reflux,” Dr. Lee says. In fact, a study in the journal Obesity found that a structured weight-loss program led to complete relief of GERD symptoms in the majority of overweight/obese participants.
- Take the right meds. Antacids are great for occasional heartburn, providing short-term relief by neutralizing stomach acid. But for GERD, the first-line treatment is usually a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), which decreases the amount of acid in your stomach. PPIs include over-the-counter lansoprazole (Prevacid) and prescription pantoprazole (Protonix). Another type of acid-lowering medication for GERD is an H2 blocker.
- Send cigarettes packing. Some evidence suggests that kicking the habit can improve acid reflux – especially when meds aren’t enough. A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that quitting smoking was associated with significant relief from heartburn and acid regurgitation among normal-weight participants who took anti-reflux drugs at least weekly.
- Surgery with a funny name. Fundoplication treats GERD by looping a portion of the top of the stomach around the lower end of the esophagus -- effectively creating a new sphincter, or valve. It works well but it’s not for everyone: Doctors usually recommend it for those with severe GERD symptoms who do not find sufficient relief from medication and lifestyle changes.
