The effects of acid reflux can be caused by any number of issues. Drinking alcohol can trigger its wrath, sleeping on a pillow that is too flat can increase its levels of pain, while genetics also play a serious role as to how severe one’s acid reflux pains can become.
But perhaps nothing triggers acid reflux as severely as to what and when we eat. Spicy foods, especially when consumed at a late hour, can cause you to toss and turn all night. Even by someone who doesn’t normally suffer from the disease. Why? As foods are digesting, gravity helps hold all our stomach functions in place. When laying down, however, those same foods (and stomach acid) is allowed to creep back up into the esophagus. This is not only uncomfortable, but painful.
For some, these effects are even worsened by “flaps” that don’t properly hold one’s digesting food in place. Increasing the already ongoing symptoms.
A proven cure, however, comes from eating an earlier meal. By allowing the body time to digest, stomach acid can’t make its way back up through the esophagus. Choosing milder foods can also lessen the effects, but even milder meals eaten later at night can trigger acid reflux pains. To eliminate side effects altogether, plan dinner time an hour or two earlier each night. Or, if your schedule doesn’t allow, follow up with a glass of milk or a bowl of yogurt to help acidic foods settle. Sleeping on an incline, especially with the help of a specialized pillow, can also create an added level of comfort. (By increasing the angle at which acid must rise, the chances that it makes its way out of the stomach are even further reduced.)
To learn more about acid reflux or how a pillow can help, head to Contour Living today.