Sometimes, you might feel a burning sensation in your chest or throat, called heartburn or acid reflux. This can happen to anyone from time to time. But if you start feeling it two or more times a week, it could lead to problems that can harm your throat. You can find out more about these issues and what you can do to keep your throat healthy and safe from damage caused by frequent heartburn.
1. What is Acid Reflux?
When you eat, food travels down a tube called the esophagus and into your stomach. There's a muscle at the bottom of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter that acts like a gate, letting food into the stomach and keeping stomach acid from going back up.
Source: Acid reflux is the flow of stomach contents back into your esophagus.
During heartburn or acid reflux, this muscle relaxes or opens when it's not supposed to. This lets stomach acid move back up into the esophagus, causing a burning feeling in your chest.
While many people may have heartburn every now and then, some people have a more serious condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It's important to treat GERD to ease the pain and discomfort and to protect your esophagus and throat from damage.
2. What are Acid Reflux Symptoms?
Symptoms of acid reflux include:
- Heartburn: A burning sensation in the chest or throat.
- Regurgitation: Sour or bitter-tasting acid backing up into the throat or mouth.
- Burping or bloating: Feeling bloated or burping frequently after meals.
- Dysphagia: Difficulty swallowing or a sensation of food sticking in the throat.
Source: Dysphagia can occur as the result of a stroke
- Nausea or vomiting: Feeling nauseous or occasionally vomiting, especially after eating.
- Sore throat or hoarseness: Irritation or inflammation of the throat due to acid exposure.
- Chronic cough: A persistent cough, often worse at night, which may be triggered by acid reflux irritating the airways.
- Dental problems: Acid reflux can lead to erosion of tooth enamel and other dental issues.
- Asthma or respiratory problems: Acid reflux may worsen asthma symptoms or trigger respiratory issues in some individuals.
- Chest pain: While less common, some people may experience chest pain that mimics heart-related pain.
3. What is Good for Acid Reflux?
Several lifestyle changes and home remedies can help alleviate acid reflux symptoms. Here are some suggestions:
- Dietary modifications: Avoid trigger foods and beverages that can exacerbate acid reflux, such as spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, caffeine, and carbonated drinks. Instead, opt for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
- Smaller meals: Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day rather than large meals. This can help prevent overeating, which can contribute to acid reflux.
- Avoid lying down after eating: Wait at least two to three hours after eating before lying down or going to bed to reduce the risk of acid reflux symptoms.
Source: If you do so, stomach acid could rise and cause discomfort
- Elevate your head while sleeping: Elevate the head of your bed by placing blocks or using a wedge pillow. This can help prevent stomach acid from flowing back into the esophagus while you sleep.
- Weight management: If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can help reduce pressure on the stomach and decrease the likelihood of acid reflux symptoms.
- Quit smoking: Smoking can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), allowing stomach acid to reflux into the esophagus. Quitting smoking can improve symptoms of acid reflux.
- Avoid tight clothing: Tight clothing, especially around the abdomen, can increase pressure on the stomach and aggravate acid reflux. Opt for loose-fitting clothing instead.
- Chew gum: Chewing sugar-free gum after meals can stimulate saliva production, which helps neutralize stomach acid and reduce acid reflux symptoms.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help dilute stomach acid and prevent dehydration, which can worsen acid reflux symptoms.
- Herbal remedies: Some people find relief from acid reflux symptoms by consuming herbal teas or supplements, such as ginger, aloe vera, licorice, turmeric, chamomile, licorice, or slippery elm.
- Over-the-counter medications: Antacids, H2-receptor antagonists (H2 blockers), and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can help alleviate symptoms of acid reflux. However, it's essential to use these medications under the guidance of a healthcare professional, as long-term use may have potential side effects.
4. What Juice is Good for Acid Reflux?
Some juices can exacerbate acid reflux symptoms due to their acidity, while others may help soothe and alleviate symptoms.
Here are a few juices that are generally considered good for acid reflux:
- Aloe Vera Juice: Aloe vera juice has anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce irritation in the esophagus and stomach.
- Non-citrus Juices: Juices made from fruits that are less acidic, such as apple, pear, and melon, are generally better tolerated by individuals with acid reflux.
- Vegetable Juices: Juices made from non-acidic vegetables like spinach, kale, cucumber, and celery can be soothing and may help alleviate acid reflux symptoms.
Source: Vegetable juices are best for acid reflux and heartburn
- Banana Juice: Bananas have natural antacid properties and can help neutralize stomach acid. Blending bananas into a juice can provide relief from acid reflux.
- Coconut Water: This is alkaline and may help neutralize stomach acid, providing relief from acid reflux symptoms.
- Ginger Juice: Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and may help alleviate digestive discomfort associated with acid reflux. However, ginger juice should be consumed in moderation as it can be spicy for some individuals.
5. Tests and Treating Severe Heartburn and Acid Reflux
If medicines don't work or your symptoms are really bad, your doctor might send you to a specialist for:
- Tests to figure out why you're having such bad symptoms. They might do a gastroscopy, where they put a tiny camera down your throat to look inside your stomach.
- Tests to see if bacteria are causing your heartburn. If they find bacteria, they can treat it with antibiotics and medicines called PPIs.
- Surgery on your stomach or food pipe to stop acid reflux. This can be an option if other treatments don't help.
