Do not get down on yourself or add guilt into your “diet” when you face acid reflux and especially if your symptoms are of a more chronic nature.  There is a good chance that you were bound to acquire the disease and could do little to avoid it.

In many, if not most, circumstances acid reflux is hereditary.  That means you were going to experience the disease without having much control over the situation.  What you must do is recognize what you did do to ease the onset along.

1.  Smoking-  Several doctors have told me that nicotine erodes the flap that opens to allow food to exit the esophagus into the stomach.  This creates a reversal of the more common causes of reflux.  Many people experience discomfort due to the flap not opening properly to allow the meal to get into the stomach.  When the flap is eroded, food is not held inside the stomach.  If acid reflux runs through you family history then you should especially avoid nicotine.

2.  Lack of exercise-  Run, walk, or do jumping jacks.  Determine that daily you will do something even if it means walking around the block.  When I eat something that I can tell is not setting well with me, I go outside as soon as I can and take a brisk walk.  This almost without fail thwarts the oncoming acid attack.

3.  Listen to your system-  The vast majority of eating circumstances now are preceded by a moment of silence.  No, not for the chicken of which I am about to partake, but to listen to my stomach and my system tell me what I can handle.  You will know.  Do NOT ignore the warning signs that you will simply KNOW are there.  You will get to the point where someone will say “McDonald’s” and it will take all that you have to keep from openly cringing at the thought of the chemicals.  Your body is telling you something.  Listen to it.

I have already posted several articles about acid reflux and most of them have been more technical than this one.  Sometimes it is nice just to have more of a fireside chat type of discussion.  Acid reflux causes are really simple to understand.  Chances are that you inherited the disease.  The good news is that the disease is moderately harmless.  Your only real long term risks are Barrett’s esophagus and a really bad attack brought on by sleeping flat.

Common sense is your best attack.  Decide to use it and you will be able to talk about acid reflux causes with a smile rather than a grimace.

More info on acid reflux from around the web…

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