How to Prevent a Sour Stomach

Acid reflux, often referred to as a "sour stomach" or "heartburn," is a common digestive condition affecting nearly 60 million Americans at least once a month, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Acid reflux occurs when your stomach acid flows back through the opening of your stomach and into your esophagus. Patients typically describe the feeling as a painful burning that spreads through the chest and upper abdomen. Like many conditions, the best treatment for acid reflux is prevention through proper diet and lifestyle modification.

Instructions

• 1

  Wait at least three hours between eating and lying down. Reclining after eating a large meal allows stomach acid to flow back through your esophagus more easily than if you were standing or sitting upright. Raise your head high on several pillows when you do lie down to angle your body upright and limit stomach acid back flow.

• 2

  Lose weight and stop smoking. According to the National Digestive Information Clearing House, being overweight and smoking increases your chances of having a sour stomach. Excess weight forces pressure on your stomach, pushing the acid upward into your esophagus. Regular smoking wears down the lining of your esophagus, making it sensitive to smaller amounts of acid back flow that you otherwise might not notice.

• 3

  Eat the right foods and avoid those that cause acid reflux. Foods commonly associated with sour stomach include those high in fat, spice and acid such as pizza, chili or orange juice. You should also avoid other foods to the extent that they cause discomfort. Some of the less obvious perpetrators of acid reflux include caffeine, peppermint, chocolate, carbonated beverages and alcohol.