Thanksgiving Advice for Acid Reflux Sufferers

With the holidays generally comes so many different types of delicious food and vast amounts of it, especially during the usually large meal of Thanksgiving. If you suffer from acid reflux or constant heartburn, you may even be dreading it instead of looking forward to it - because you know that with the great food and large meal may also come a great amount of pain. The reason that the large meal of Thanksgiving and the many appetizers along with it may make one more prone to acid reflux and heartburn, is just that. It's a large meal, and ingesting a large meal of any sort can put more pressure on the stomach, thus forcing the stomach acids into the esophagus. It's really not good for anyone, and really bad if you are a sufferer of acid reflux. The variety of foods can also play a part as well, as a lot of holiday appetizers can be hard on the esophagus or even rile up stomach acids even further. However, there are a few things you can do to treat acid reflux and heartburn, or even prevent it before it starts.

- The first and simplest thing to do is to not wear something that is too tight around your waist. Tight pants, shirts or belts can put pressure on the stomach and cause acid levels to rise. Before even heading to a Thanksgiving dinner, wear something nice and loose.

- Have an antacid on hand, whether chewable or liquid. They won't always work for serious acid reflux, but sometimes they can, or at least take the edge off. Either way, it doesn't hurt to try if you do find yourself running into heartburn.

- Mind what you eat. Chances are, there will be all kinds of goodies to indulge in - the same goodies that can exacerbate an acid reflux problem. Foods like peppermint and chocolate, unfortunately, are known to relax the esophageal sphincter, which is basically the flood gate for letting stomach acid in. Very fatty foods such as salami and cheese, and spicy foods like hot wings or pepperoni may also add to the problem.

- Be careful with the crunchy foods. This doesn't mean you can't eat them, as foods like crackers, pretzels, and crunchy fruits and veggies like apples and carrots (both of which may actually help soothe heartburn by neutralizing stomach acids in the esophagus) are actually a good alternative to the bad choices listed in the previous tip. However, if they aren't chewed up well enough, they can scratch up the inside of the esophagus and cause sores, which will be extra sensitive and hurt even worse if stomach acid ever touches there. Just chew up each crunchy bite as well as you can, and this should help prevent this.

- Stay away from coffee (whether decaf or not) and alcohol. Both of these can be very acidic and cause the stomach acid levels to rise, resulting in major heartburn. Carbonated sodas may also cause irritation to a sensitive esophagus. Apple cider (again, anything apple is a soothing way to temporarily combat heartburn pain) can be a great substitute drink.

- Drink a soothing herbal tea. You can find them in just about any health store or grocery store, so go ahead and pick some up before the Thanksgiving dinner. Teas like chamomile or ginger are great for heartburn pain, and are gentle enough to be used as a substitution drink for coffee and alcohol. If you end up having heartburn problem after the dinner, it's a great drink to soothe the pain.

- Drink plenty of water in between eating and with the main course. This is not only soothing to the esophagus, but also helps cleanse it of acid.

- Stop eating when you are satiated. As tempting as it may be to stuff yourself, overeating is not going to help an acid reflux problem. As soon as you feel comfortably fed, you should stop eating. This should help you later, when a heartburn problem is apt to appear.

- If you feel acid reflux coming on, rub an essential oil, like that of peppermint or chamomile, on your abdomen where the pain is. This will help calm and relax your stomach muscles, resulting in less acid production, and is also more calming for you while enduring the pain. Remember to dilute the oils with a little bit of water or olive oil if they are pure instead of blended.

- Stop eating and drinking at least a couple of hours before bedtime. Going to bed with food in your stomach tends to make the digestive system work harder, which in turn can give you indigestion which can lead to acid reflux. It is especially no fun waking up to a searing pain. So make sure there is a cutting off point of food and drink when you feel somewhat close to winding down for the night.

Following all of the above tips may not guarantee a heartburn-free Thanksgiving, but it should greatly reduce your chances of acid reflux and overall keep you comfortable enough to just enjoy your holiday.