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Print ArticleHeartburn/GERD Health Center
Understanding GERD - Prevention
How Can I Prevent It?
Lifestyle changes sometimes prevent symptoms of GERD. Because fatty foods, mints, chocolates, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeinated beverages such as coffee or colas relax the LES, you may be able to reduce the amount of acid reflux you experience by avoiding these foods. Carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and juices, spicy foods, and tomato sauce may irritate the lining of your esophagus and make the effects of GERD more severe. Cutting these foods from your diet could reduce the severity of the symptoms.
You may help reduce reflux by quitting smoking, wearing loose clothing, eating smaller meals, not lying down for at least three hours after you eat, and losing weight if you are overweight. Some people are able to prevent symptoms at night by raising the head of their bed with 6-inch blocks or by sleeping on a special wedge-shaped pillow that elevates the upper part of the body.
Some medications, such as birth control pills and medicines for osteoporosis, may cause reflux and heartburn as a side effect. If medications you are taking seem to be the cause of your heartburn, talk with your doctor about other medications you might be able to use instead. Do not stop taking a prescription medication until you talk with your doctor.
WebMD Medical Reference
It’s not just what you eat that can cause your stomach to churn. It’s also how much you eat and what you do after meals.
