Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, all I can do is relate my experience and hopefully there will be those who can benefit from it. The human body is complex and we are all different - penicillin heals some people and can kill those allergic to it - keep that in mind when deciding whether something applies to you or not..
Gerd can result in Barrets Esophagus where your esophagus cells start changing into stomach cells as your body adapts to the acid creeping up your throat - apparently this increases the chance of esophageal cancer so it needs to be dealt with. I was diagnosed with Barrets esophagus several years ago but have learned to adapt to the stage where I no longer need medication, and my esophagus is slowly reverting to normal based on the last checkup - which is good because months of taking Omeprezol started to affect my balance due to the inner ear fluid turning to gel.
Tip 1: Identify your triggers!
Besides the fact that some people simply have more acid producing cells then others there are food triggers that cause excess acid to be produced. It’s not about acidic food vs alkaline food - it is a chemical reaction of some sort and could even be a really alkaline food that does it. Many people are fine with watermelon, with me it is one of my acid triggers and as long as I don’t eat too much of it and remain upright for several hours after, I can still eat watermelon - and put up with the bloating for a while - but I would never eat it just before I am going to be sitting or lying down for too long.
Tip 2: Adjust your eating habits.
We have all heard that we need to make breakfast our main meal and to just have a small dinner - well this is especially true for dealing with acid reflux. There are cases where it’s not about eating something that trigger acid, it’s just the fact that you have too much food in your belly when you lie down and your stomach is busy trying to digest it while your esophagus isn’t closing properly. My brother actually had an operation for that but that’s another story and you may not need it if you learn to manage the condition and simply don’t eat too much before bedtime. I used to eat around 7pm and have adjusted to eating a small dinner as soon as I get home from work so my food has moved further down my stomach when I lie down - which brings us to the next point.
Tip 3: Keep moving after eating.
An African friend of mine who has similar issues brought this concept to my attention when he told me “When I have indigestion I take some ant-acids and go for a walk and after a while I give a big burp and you don’t want to be around me when that happens!”. Several times I have forgotten about this concept and ended up waking up with acid reflux several hours after going to bed because sitting slouched over in front of the TV right after eating means that the food doesn’t move too well through your stomach and only seems to start processing once you are lying flat on your back. Extra gas inside our stomach can also build up pressure on the upper stomach and worsen the condition - walking or at least maintaining a little activity helps your body expel those gases (not only from your mouth ) and ease the condition
Tip 4: Help your body digest troublesome foods.
This may not sound like a healthy tip but it is healthier than constantly taking medication. Pepsi is based on the word “dyspepsia” or “indigestion” because that is exactly what it was designed to relieve - and Coke is an imitation of Pepsi and does the same job. When I started getting acid reflux and never had an idea what it was, after having my Friday night pizza treat every week I discovered that if I ordered a cup of tea at the restaurant I had issues but if I had a Coke with the meal I was fine. This is because the Coke was helping digest the food. Apparently some people get acid reflux because they actually have less acid producing cells in their stomach meaning that the food sits in their upper stomach longer. Regardless of the reason - Pepsi and Coke help digest that food and, although I don’t recommend drinking it too often, a glass of either with a meal that you know causes issues will help prevent indigestion. As mentioned before I had issues with Omeprazole and would rather have the occasional glass of Coke or Pepsi with my meal than be stuck on medication for the rest of my life. The dangers of acid reflux and possibly cancer are definitely worse than a glass of soft drink that many people drink daily anyway - just get the no-sugar versions and treat it as ‘medicinal’ when you need it..
Tip 5: When it happens.
Initially I was battling with acid reflux several days a week and if I got it bad once that would mean a few nights of a very sensitive “burn mark” in my throat that was irritated by the slightest bit of acid which resulted in sleeping on 3 pillows to change my body angle, one pillow under my shoulders and two under my head which prevented the ‘upward’ flow of acid - but also eventually resulted in backache. I don’t quite see how raising the upper half of the bed by 2 inches as is often suggested can do a better job. But anyway, when you wake up at 11pm with a burning sensation in your throat you will need to take action. First of all if you are unsure about what you have eaten, before bedtime take a teaspoon of ENO which is basically a nice tasting baking soda with some fizz. Believe me when I say that eating a dry spoon of baking soda to counteract the acid may be quite effective but is very unpleasant. ENO tastes good while it neutralizes acid and makes you burp because of the fizziness so it helps in two ways.
So, you have taken a 1/4 glass of water with ENO which will help, but it doesn’t mean you can just go back to bed because the food is probably still sitting high and it is likely to start creeping up on you again. Be prepared for close to an hour of getting rid of the gerd before going back to bed. The burning is usually on the back of your throat so if you sit on a chair leaning forward onto the table gravity will do its job and move the acid away - though the damage may have been done and you may still have a sensitive spot there. I usually put the kettle on as soon as I have to get up then pour myself a half a mug of hot water and sit in that position sipping the hot water which helps wash the acid down. Once the back of your throat is no longer uncomfortable it helps to get up and walk around as per Tip 3 and get the food moving further down your stomach.
Using these tips has had me off any form of medication for the last 2 years now and as long as I actually stick to these tips I have no issues - then, as with a few days ago, I forget while I’m on holiday and buy a pastry for dinner and sit around too much before bedtime so I apply Tip 5 and within an hour I am back in bed and hopefully asleep again. I hope it helps others but keep in mind that we are all different and not everything you read online is going to benefit everyone in the same way.
A microwave with heartburn.