Acid reflux generally occurs when the acid from the stomach flows up into the esophagus. This happens when the muscles of the lower esophagus get affected or don’t work well. Acid reflux generally comes with some unpleasant symptoms such as a sensation of burning, which can be felt inside your chest, as well as difficulty swallowing. However, according to some health specialists, these symptoms can be managed if you change your lifestyle.

Listed below are some of the lifestyle tips for acid reflux that can help you with this job.

1. Avoid overeating
Eating a large amount of food can put pressure on your lower esophagus sphincter or LES, which can cause the acid in your stomach to reflux. Therefore, many health specialists consider overeating to be the most common cause of acid reflux. Thus, most of the doctors ask their patients to opt for smaller meals five to six times a day instead of eating three big meals. This is considered to be one of the most effective lifestyle tips for acid reflux and can help you to subdue the symptoms of reflux quite comfortably.

2. Don’t lay down after eating
Lying down right after eating your food is known to cause acid reflux. Therefore, waiting for at least three hours after completing your meal can be a great idea. Your doctor may also suggest you go for a walk as it will help to quicken the process of digestion.

3. Lose weight
Being obese or overweight also puts you at a high risk of heartburn. Because of this reason, many doctors consider losing weight in a healthy way, to be one of the best lifestyle tips for acid reflux. So, to lose weight, you can either opt for a gym or follow a healthy diet plan. However, if you have any other health condition, then consult with your doctor first before choosing a diet plan.

4. Know about your medications
As mentioned earlier, some of the medications such as NSAIDs, some asthma drugs, certain antibiotics, painkillers, and sedatives are known to cause acid reflux. These medicines generally cause this problem either by hindering the process of digestion or by affecting your esophagus. Thus, if you are already suffering from frequent heartburn, then avoiding these medications would be better.

5. Stop smoking
Owing to numerous studies and research, many health specialists have also found a link between smoking and acid reflux. According to some of them, the chemicals, which the cigarettes contain, can make the muscles of the LES to relax, which generally encourages the acid from your stomach to come out. Therefore, quitting cigarettes is widely considered to be one of the most important lifestyle tips for acid reflux.

Frequent acid reflux can lead to many life-threatening health complications such as esophageal cancer. Thus, if you are suffering from this problem, then consulting with your doctor as soon as possible can be a great idea.