Eating habit changes for hiatal hernia or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Changing your eating habits may reduce your chances of having heartburn. Suggestions include the following:

• Avoid coffee and alcohol. These drinks can make your heartburn worse by relaxing the valve between your esophagus and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter, or LES), allowing stomach juices to back up into your esophagus.
• Avoid foods that make your symptoms worse. These may include chocolate, peppermint- and spearmint-flavored foods, carbonated drinks, and possibly spicy, fatty, or fried foods.
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Having a very full stomach increases the likelihood that the LES will relax and allow stomach juices to back up (reflux) into your esophagus.
• Do not eat for 2 to 3 hours before exercise or before bedtime.
• Use chewing gum or hard candies to increase the amount of saliva your mouth produces. Saliva washes stomach juices out of the esophagus into the stomach and can neutralize stomach acid.
• Avoid acidic foods, such as orange juice and tomatoes. If you have an irritated esophagus (esophagitis), these foods can make it worse.