10 Common Triggers of Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is one of the most common problems people have to deal with daily. It combines lifestyle problems, lack of physical exercise, dietary problems, stress and depression, and many other factors. Most often, acid reflux is a sign of an underlying digestive problem or health condition because our body has intertwined organ systems. Therefore, you must know the triggers that can set off acid reflux.

This article lists ten common acid reflux triggers that set off suddenly without any prior changes in your digestive functioning. In addition, we have explained how to briefly reduce your body's response to these triggers to help you combat the problem.

Fatty foods

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To treat GERD, you must avoid foods that trigger acid reflux, like fatty foods. Anything from pan-seared salmon to chicken nuggets or deep-fried mozzarella sticks, any such food can trigger acid reflux in your body and worsen your digestive health.

Constipation or IBS

Constipation is also one of the major causes of acid reflux, along with IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. When you are not eating fiber in enough quantity or your body is dehydrated for a prolonged time, you suffer from these two diseases. In the long run, it can easily lead to acid reflux because your body won't be able to digest the food you are eating, and there will be regurgitation.

Lack of sleep

Apart from the association between acid reflux and diet, we can also associate this disease with sleep. Unless and until you are getting proper sleep in a day, you won't be able to get rid of reflux issues. This is because the lack of sleep puts your body in a state where it cannot function properly, and normal homeostasis is disturbed. As a result, the digestion rate slows down and the acid produced in your stomach is highly concentrated.

Stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety are some of the causes that can lead to acid reflux. Therefore, avoiding acid reflux triggers should also involve keeping a stress-free life and maintaining your anxiety attacks as much as possible. Get sleep, avoid depression, and if you need doctor's treatment, you should go for it.

Intermittent fasting

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Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle habit where you fast for an extended period and then take a heavy meal to compensate for that time during which you didn't eat anything. On the one hand, people believe it can help lose body weight and treat obesity. However, according to several studies, the best way to treat acid reflux triggers is to stop intermittent fasting permanently. When you don't eat anything for a long time, the acid starts building up in your stomach, and as soon as you take something in, your body cannot complete the digestion process, and you get acid reflux.

Caffeine and dairy products

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Acid reflux and diet are often considered to be closely associated. This is why the intake of caffeine and dairy products at a colossal scale is often considered one of the primary triggers that offer reflux. If you want to eliminate this problem, you first need to cut off caffeine from your daily routine. Instead, you can shift to green tea, white tea, oolong tea, and many other alternatives. Also, instead of taking dairy products, you can go for their substitutes like tofu for cottage cheese, almond or coconut milk for regular dairy milk, peanut butter for regular dairy butter, and so on.

Lack of physical exercises

Avoiding acid reflux triggers is not easy, primarily if it is related to your physical activity. When your body is not physically active, the cells won't use glucose and fatty acids to produce energy. As a result, you will feel bloated for a longer time, and that can easily lead to acidity and reflux in the long run. So, the best way to treat this problem is to increase your physical activity, either by going to the gym, enrolling in the yoga studio, meditating, or simply doing your household chores.

Slow metabolic rate

Metabolism helps increase digestion and ensure that the glucose produced is utilized in the maximum amount. Therefore, if your body can burn the nutrients faster, your digestive system will have to speed up and pass the food from the stomach to the duodenum within a small time frame. This will prevent the buildup of acid in your stomach. However, you may suffer from acid reflux if your metabolic rate is not high enough even after being physically active. It is considered one of the most common triggers for GERD that can be treated with the help of lifestyle change.

Obesity

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Another reason that can trigger acid reflux is obesity. You cannot associate it with a sudden figure because it is a long-time issue, and the problem starts suddenly and continues. The connection between reflux and your body weight is usually not straightforward. So, treating acid reflux triggers associated with obesity won't be easy for you. Avoiding fat-rich food, steroid, and physical inactivity is the best option.

Dehydration

Lastly, one of the best ways of treating acid reflux triggers is to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. We often neglect the importance of drinking water, thinking that the liquid we are drinking through other food items will be enough to compensate for the lack of water in our bodies. However, that is not the case. Without a good amount of water, the acid in your stomach continues to build and become concentrated, which is why you often get acid reflux.

Whenever it sets off suddenly, and you feel your throat is parched and your mouth becoming dry, it's a clear sign that you are suffering from dehydration. Drinking enough water throughout the day according to your height and body weight will somehow set off the offset reaction, helping you to get rid of the reflux.

Conclusion

With this article, you learn about the common acid reflux triggers and also the ways to prevent them from recurring. It is essential to know the sources of these triggers because, often, GERD relates to an underlying health problem and is not an indication of an improper lifestyle. In this case, consultation with a gastroenterologist is essential, and bringing changes in your lifestyle to ensure the recurrence periods can decrease.