Relieving GERD through Lifestyle Changes

Written by Thomas Green

What we eat and do has a big impact on our health, particularly if we're engaging in unhealthy habits and life choices.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is an illness of the upper gastrointestinal system that results in painful irritation of the esophageal lining that can be a precursor to other, more serious illnesses. Its usually caused by a weakened or malfunctioning lower esophageal sphincter, increases in stomach acid or irritation of the esophageal lining. GERD by itself has some very unpleasant symptoms, such as frequent heartburn, difficulty swallowing and regurgitation.

Like many illnesses, eating and lifestyle habits can contribute to or cause GERD. Fortunately, changing these habits can also greatly contribute to the elimination or mitigation of GERD.

Because GERD is a gastrointestinal illness, its no surprise that diet can be a major factor contributing to GERD. What you drink and eat can increase your risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease by increasing the acidity of your stomach, thus making any reflux you experience more painful; increasing the frequency of your incidences of reflux and severely irriatating the lining of your esophagus; or by weakening the lower esophageal sphincter.

Most cases of GERD involve a weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter, and there are several food and beverage items that can cause this. For example, carbonated beverages, because of their carbon dioxide content, can cause gas that increases pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, resulting in it staying open when it should be closed. Foods that are high in fat digest more slowly than protein or carbohydrate-packed foods. Because of this, when you eat fatty foods your stomach stays full longer, thus increasing pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter.

An increase in stomach acid can result in increased reflux and the painful side effects of reflux. Once again, high fat foods are a culprit, resulting in higher production of stomach acid because they're tougher to digest. Foods that are high in acids, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes and caffeinated beverages can also cause an increase in stomach acid.

Foods that are high in acid can also irritate the lining of your esophagus. Also some dairy products such as milk and cheese can also cause esophageal irritation. It also goes without saying that spicy foods can irritate the esophagus and result in an increase in stomach acid.

There are a wide variety of "safe" foods, grains, meats, fruits and vegetables that aren't likely to contribute to GERD. As a rule of thumb, low-fat foods are highly unlikely to contribute to GERD. Grains like oatmeal and bran aren't likely to irritate your esophagus or increase production of stomach acid. Other GERD proof foods include lean ground beef, chicken breast, carrots, cabbage and peas.

Also, you may still be able to eat higher-risk foods if you do so in moderation. Food preparation can also play a big role in preventing or mitigating GERD. Baked foods are much less likely to cause GERD than fried foods. You can also mitigate the symptoms of GERD by avoiding eating shortly before you sleep. Don't eat for at least three hours before going to bed if you have GERD.

In addition to your diet, other habits can contribute to GERD. Alcohol and cigarette use can also cause or enable GERD. Alcohol relaxes the esophageal sphincter and can irritate the esophageal lining and cause an increase in stomach acid. In fact a report in Digestive Disease Sciences, a medical journal, showed that moderate consumption of alcohol can result in a marked increase in stomach acid.

To help mitigate your GERD symptoms, you'll need to either quit drinking or greatly reduce your drinking. Some sufferers of GERD can still drink small amounts of alcohol, but each person is different so it will be a matter of trial and error. In the meantime, you may want to water down your drinks to reduce their impact.

Smoking can contribute to GERD in several ways. Smoking results in a reduction in saliva production. Saliva works to neutralize stomach acid, so a reduction in saliva results in an increase in stomach acid. Nicotine also has a relaxing effect on the lower esophageal lining. Smoking can also slow digestion, making reflux more likely, and directly injure the esophagus. Quitting smoking will not just help you with GERD, but will also help improve your general health and well-being.

Old habits are hard to break, but when the incentive is shaking symptoms as uncomfortable as those associated with GERD, you may find these behaviors a little easier to shed than you would have thought. Changing your lifestyle and dietary habits may not completely cure GERD, but they can make its symptoms much more bearable.