Acid reflux happens when the acid in your stomach goes the wrong way, which is when they get right back up towards the esophagus and throat. While there are different forms of acid reflux, it can be felt during heartburn with that searing sensation in your chest.
There can also be a kind of sensation wherein guttural sounds in your throat occur. It can lead to chronic cough, hoarseness, sore throat, and/or a feeling like there’s a lump in your throat. This is when you have acid reflux when you don’t feel the more common burning sensation in your throat.
If neglected or insufficiently untreated, acid reflux can lead to a severe disease that can cause inflammation in the vocal cords, throat, esophagus, stomach, and/or lungs. It can affect your breathing and lead to further health problems, such as ulcers and pneumonia. If completely disregarded, it can get worse. In some cases, acid reflux can lead to esophageal cancer.
Diagnostic Procedures
Commonly, acid reflux disease is confirmed through an endoscopy. While this is equally accurate, there is a much simpler and less expensive way to diagnose it. TransNasal Esophagoscopy (TNE) is a procedure wherein an extremely thin camera goes to your esophagus and sees what’s going on in there. This is just done with the patient wide awake in the doctor’s office. No sedation is needed. Therefore, you avoid additional potential risks.
Then again, this depends on how severe your acid reflux is. An endoscopy procedure might be the first step in your treatment. So to make sure, it’s best to talk to your physician.
Food That Triggers Heartburn
Heartburn is basically a symptom of acid reflux, so you better start to avoid any triggers before it leads to further health issues. Of course, specific triggers of heartburn vary from person to person. As it is your body, it’s up to you to know which food certainly gives you heartburn.
There are food items that are not that acidic, yet they make acid rise back up from the stomach. This includes caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, mint, onion, and garlic. Highly acidic food can definitely lead to heartburn. Soda, processed iced tea, white wine, citrus products, tomato, and vinegar are examples of highly acidic food.
However, studies have shown that apple cider vinegar can help reduce the risk of acid reflux.
Why Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Can Be a Remedy for Acid Reflux
The effect of apple cider vinegar to remedy heartburn depends on its cause. On the one hand, if you’re overproducing gastric acid and have a dysfunctional esophageal sphincter, it’s highly possible that acid will make its way back up to your throat. If you take ACV while you have this condition, the heartburn will worsen.
On the other hand, if you’re one of those people who don’t produce enough acid in their stomach, the fact is, the food you eat doesn’t digest properly. Therefore, apple cider vinegar can be helpful to you.
Additionally, ACV is a probiotic that is generally good for your digestive system and can help you detoxify your body.
Food That Can Fight Heartburn
First of all, you want to reach for high-fiber food such as beans, whole grains, low-acid fruits, and low-fat vegetables. If you like citrus products, be mindful and get low-acid ones. Be careful with dairy products as well since they can be high in fat, which stays in your stomach longer. Then, it causes acid to flow back up, leading to heartburn. Opt for non- to low-fat dairy food.
You should be more mindful when you eat to avoid overeating. Heartburn is very common after a large meal. When you prepare food, make it with as little fat as possible. Therefore, avoid deep frying and even frying in general. When cooking with oil, use darker kinds, like sesame oil. Steam your vegetables. Consider grilling, roasting, and baking since these cooking methods require little to no fat.
For dessert, some rules apply to avoid heartburn. Again, reach for cakes and ice cream that are low in fat. You want to avoid chocolate and peppermint-flavored products since they cause heartburn. Instead, choose vanilla, peanut butter, or anything with reduced fat.
For some time, acid reflux was thought of as a disease that only had something to do with obesity and heartburn. While that’s true, acid reflux can cause further problems not just in your digestive system but in your throat as well. It doesn’t pick favorites, and people of all ages, races, and genders can be affected by it.
