How to Relieve Gastric Reflux

Gastric reflux, sometimes called gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), is a disorder that causes acid from the stomach to flow up into the esophagus. This refluxing of stomach acid upward leads to esophageal damage, pain and discomfort. The esophageal damage that GERD causes can lead to more serious conditions over time, with the possibility of becoming cancerous. The treatment of GERD focuses on reducing stomach acid to prevent further esophageal damage and healing the past damage to the esophagus.

Things You'll Need

• PPI medication

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Instructions

• 1

  Drop unhealthy habits. Nicotine and caffeine both cause an increase in stomach acid. Alcohol not only causes an excess in stomach acid, but also relaxes the sphincter that keeps acid out of the esophagus. With this open, the extra acid has free access to flow upward.

• 2

  Make dietary changes. Foods to avoid with acid reflux include citrus fruits, chocolate, coffee and spicy foods. Complex carbohydrates are the ideal food for reflux, because they soak up extra stomach acid.

• 3

  Try smaller meals. Eating five to six small meals a day requires less acid production in the stomach than three large meals. More food in the stomach needs additional acid to break it down, leading to excess acid that can reflux.

• 4

  Lose excess weight. Extra weight adds pressure to the stomach, forcing acid up from the stomach into the esophagus.

• 5

  Use medication. Antacids provide short-term control of reflux, but they don't allow for repair of the damage already there. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) control acid reflux consistently, giving the esophagus a chance to heal the previous damage. Prilosec is the only PPI available over-the-counter to treat acid reflux. In severe cases of GERD, to better control the reflux, doctors prescribe PPI medication in stronger doses than the over-the-counter PPI.