6 Tips to Help Control Your Acid Reflux Symptoms

If you frequently experience a burning sensation in your chest or throat, you're likely dealing with acid reflux. At OhanaMed Virtual Urgent Care, we understand how disruptive these symptoms can be to your daily life.

Our provider, Kyle Nefzger, APRN, FNP-C, offers convenient telehealth consultations to help patients in Honolulu, Hawaii, and across Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lāna’i, and Maui manage gastrointestinal issues from the comfort of home.

Here are six evidence-based tips to help control your acid reflux symptoms and find lasting relief.

How can you manage your acid reflux symptoms naturally?

To manage your acid reflux symptoms naturally, you can adjust your sleeping position, modify your diet, and maintain a healthy weight to reduce pressure on your digestive system. These simple lifestyle adjustments target the mechanical causes of reflux.

Sleep on your left side. It's highly beneficial to sleep on your left side due to the natural shape of your stomach. Resting on your left side elevates the junction between your esophagus and stomach above the level of gastric acid, using gravity to prevent reflux. Conversely, sleeping on your right side submerges this junction and can worsen your symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Reduce your carbohydrate intake. High-carbohydrate diets can trigger acid reflux by causing gas and stomach bloating. This bloating puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (the muscle valve that keeps stomach acid down), forcing it to open. Low carbohydrate diets significantly reduced the time the esophagus was exposed to acid.
Achieve a healthy weight. Carrying extra weight, especially around your abdomen, physically squeezes your stomach and forces acid upward. Research shows that even a modest weight loss of about 9.7 pounds (4.4 kilograms) can lead to a highly significant improvement in reflux-related quality of life.

What medical steps help control your acid reflux symptoms?

Medical steps to control your acid reflux symptoms include:

Time your medications correctly. If you take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to suppress stomach acid, timing is everything. You should take these medications 30-60 minutes before your first meal of the day, rather than at bedtime. This ensures the medicine is fully active when your stomach cells start producing acid in response to food.
Elevate your bed and avoid late-night eating. To prevent nighttime reflux, elevate the head of your bed frame by using bed risers or a firm wedge pillow. Stacking regular pillows doesn't work because it bends your neck and increases abdominal pressure. Additionally, stop eating at least two to three hours before lying down to ensure your stomach is empty.
Don't rely on milk for relief. While a cold glass of milk might temporarily soothe heartburn for 15 minutes, it actually causes a rebound effect. The calcium and proteins in dairy trigger your stomach to release a surge of acid shortly after. Furthermore, the fat content in whole milk slows digestion and relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, making future reflux more likely.

Managing acid reflux doesn't have to be a guessing game. If lifestyle changes aren't enough, we'll help you find a personalized treatment plan.

To discuss your symptoms and explore your options, contact our team at OhanaMed Virtual Urgent Care to schedule a virtual visit today.