- Roughly 60 million Americans experience heartburn once a month, and 15 million experience it daily.
- Heartburn is most commonly the result of regurgitated gastric acid (or gastric reflux).
- Luckily minor diet and lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding late-night meals, avoiding problematic foods, and changing your sleep position may help prevent heartburn.
Do you suffer from the painful, irritating, ill-timed pain of heartburn? You should know you’re not alone. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, roughly 60 million Americans experience heartburn once a month, and 15 million experience it daily.
This familiar burning sensation hits right in the center of the chest, right behind the breastbone. The sensation can also be felt in the throat and neck, and in some cases, heartburn can create an awful taste in the mouth.
Heartburn is most commonly the result of regurgitated gastric acid (or gastric reflux). But luckily there are ways you can get relief and even prevent it from occurring in the first place! All it takes is a few minor diet and lifestyle changes. Here are 13 effective tips to prevent dreaded heartburn…
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight can benefit your overall health but it turns out your weight can play a role in heartburn too. Healthline explains, “if you have excess belly fat, the pressure in your abdomen may become so high that the lower esophageal sphincter gets pushed upward, away from the diaphragm’s support.” This is known as a hiatal hernia which is the leading cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
The source also says being overweight can increase your risk for acid reflux and GERD, and therefore, some studies suggest losing “at least 10% of your body weight could significantly decrease symptoms of GERD in people with the condition.”
Before embarking on a weight loss journey, it’s always important to speak with your doctor about how to lose weight safely.