How Do You Treat GERD? Here Are A Few Things You Should Know

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a chronic backflow of stomach acid into your esophagus. Due to the stomach acid’s nature, the backwash, or the acid reflux, irritates the lining of your esophagus. So, if you’re experiencing repeated acid reflux, it can damage your esophagus and cause other symptoms like heartburn, leading to various serious health problems.

That’s why immediate remedies and proper prevention are necessary to avoid severe issues such as those mentioned. To help you, here’s how you can treat GERD and the probable causes you should look into.

What causes GERD?

An average regular person also experiences the backwash of stomach acid in their esophagus. However, it only happens occasionally. If the acid reflux becomes frequent, you might already be experiencing GERD. If you’re wondering why or how it happens, there are a few things that you should look out for.

First on the list is eating large meals, especially during the night. The night is the time of the day when you’re supposed to rest and sleep. Aside from that, some foods can trigger heartburn, which varies by person, but the most common ones are similar to fatty and fried foods. It’s also the same for beverages and medications.

Thus, if you’re experiencing GERD, asking your doctor what causes them would be your primary step toward prevention.

How to treat GERD?

As mentioned, there are several reasons why your GERD is acting up. Fortunately, there are also many ways you can combat this problem and find various things you can do to prevent experiencing GERD. To help you, here’s a list of ways you can do so.

Visit a Doctor When Symptoms Start

It’s important never to diagnose yourself with any disease, especially if you’re not a trained specialist. However, if you start to experience the symptoms, you should contact and visit your doctor as soon as possible.

Moreover, it’s important to highlight that the symptoms can be misread as simple, typical symptoms you experience on some other days. That’s why you must carefully take note of its frequency and intensity. If any of the symptoms start to happen more frequently than regular, then call your doctor ASAP.

OTC Medications

Another way you can prevent and minimize your GERD symptoms is to drink over-the-counter medications. After checking your condition, Your healthcare provider might provide you with over-the-counter medications to relieve the symptoms of GERD like Prilosec. However, the costs can easily add up, for 20mg dosage it is average price of $12.33.

So, a complete blister pack would cost a lot already. Fortunately, there are Prilosec coupons presented by coupon providers, such as BuzzRx. So, you should check up with your doctor about the medications you’ll need and find out if it also has discount coupons.

Have a Better Eating Habit

GERD is a gastroesophageal disease. So, your best chance of preventing GERD from acting up again is to change your eating habit, which concerns your stomach and esophagus. The first thing you should consider modifying is your habit of chewing food. You can be mindlessly chewing, but you must ensure you’re doing it slowly as a regular person should.

Moreover, the backwash usually takes place when your stomach is full. So, instead of eating a lot in every meal, you can consider eating small meals many times a day than the usual three large meals.

Most importantly, you shouldn’t move too much after eating. Prevent from bending over, which can cause backflow to your esophagus. However, you shouldn’t lie down as well, especially after eating. Try to stay up (standing or eating) for a few hours before doing so much, like exercising, sleeping, and napping.

Quit Smoking

Aside from changing your eating habits, it would help you best to think about completely changing your lifestyle. So, if you’re a smoker, consider quitting entirely. It’ll improve your quality of life but also significantly helps you with your GERD. A stick of smoke contains nicotine, which helps relax smooth muscles in your body.

In case you didn’t know, your lower esophageal sphincter serves as a boundary between your esophagus and stomach; this organ is a smooth muscle. Thus, if the nicotine relaxes your esophageal sphincter, it fails to block the stomach acid when it backwashes. That’s why if you’re a smoker and have GERD, it would help to consider quitting this habit ASAP.

Avoid Wearing Tight-Fitting Clothes

Heartburn, a symptom of GERD, is often triggered (and worsened) by tight-fitting clothes, including a snug-fitting outfit, elastic waistbands, and restrictive shapewear. This type of clothes puts pressure on the midsection of your body, which only stirs up stomach acid through your esophagus. Although as tempting as it can be, it would help you more if you wear loose-fit clothes to ease the unnecessary pressure on your stomach.

Final Thoughts

GERD can be dangerous if left unattended. Fortunately, there are several ways you can practice to prevent it from acting up again in the future. However, it involves a change in your lifestyle. So, you’ll need a lifetime commitment to do so successfully. Still, if it helps your condition and your quality of life, then it’s best to consider your choices.