How to avoid heartburn?
Who has never suffered from heartburn? These unpleasant pains are sometimes avoidable. Better to know the factors that favor them. Doctissimo takes stock.
Summary
Heartburn: Foods to Avoid
Tobacco and alcohol, enemies of your stomach
Monitor your habits to reduce heartburn
Manage stress
Limit the intake of certain medications
Consult your doctor
1 |Heartburn: Foods to Avoid
Heartburn is pain that is felt in the back of the breastbone and in the upper part of the abdomen. They are mainly due to inflammation of the lining of the stomach, but also of the esophagus. The causes of these burns can be multiple: excess acidity in the stomach, damage to the tissues lining its walls, or transient reflux of acidic gastric contents towards the esophagus. A priori, these pains, if they are only periodic transient, do not represent a major risk of complications. however, there are many factors that lead to their appearance and the following article will present some pieces of advice
Heartburn: Foods to Avoid
Spearheading the triggers of these ailments: food.
First of all, you must avoid eating foods that are fried or too fatty, such as whole milk cheese, certain meats … Fats require a longer time to be broken down. They then trigger the secretion of gastric juices which, by making the inside of the stomach more acidic, can cause pain; The same goes for citrus fruits: orange and grapefruit juices are not recommended for burns. Another fruit is also in the sights: the tomato, which is also very acidic;
Coffee, tea, or any other caffeinated drink should be consumed in moderation: they can have an action on the sphincter making the junction between the esophagus and the stomach. Its inadequate opening facilitates the mechanism of gastric reflux;
Finally, too spicy dishes, onions, and sweets made from the plain or peppery mint are also prohibited.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all diet to protect yourself from these burns: it is advisable to go through a trial and error method, which will allow you to make a list of the foods that are least suitable for you.
Tobacco and alcohol, enemies of your stomach
Other enemies of our digestion: tobacco and alcohol.
Tobacco limits the secretions of saliva which makes it possible to attenuate the action of gastric juices in the event of reflux; Alcohol, on the other hand, promotes relaxation of the intraesophageal sphincter.
A decrease in your consumption of these two products is therefore beneficial in reducing these symptoms.
Monitor your habits to reduce heartburn
Certain lifestyle habits can also promote the onset of heartburn. It is in fact not recommended to go to bed directly after a meal, because the food bolus can rise more easily. If possible, wait for 2 to 3 hours before lying down and in case of a nap, then prefer an armchair. Exercising can also trigger this type of pain, especially when you have to lean forward. No violent sport right after a meal, a long walk is enough! Finally, obesity is also an aggravating factor in burns: being overweight induces compression of the stomach which also draws the food bolus to the lower esophageal sphincter.
Pregnant women can be affected in late pregnancy for the same reason, as the fetus can compress their stomachs. The result is the same when you wear clothes that are too tight: belts and pants that are too tight are therefore not recommended.
Manage stress
But diet and a healthy lifestyle are not the only major factors in heartburn. A third dimension must be taken into account: that of psychology. It is well known that nervousness also has a role to play in these ailments, for several reasons. Under the influence of stress, we tend to chew the food we eat less. This gives the stomach more work to break down food.
The second phenomenon is purely physiological: the digestive system is, of course, controlled by our nervous system. Stress causes an increase in the secretions of gastric juices which induces this burning sensation.
