If you experience regular bouts of acid reflux, changing your diet may be an essential part of reducing or eliminating your symptoms.
What Does Acid Reflux Feel Like? 
Most of us are familiar with the burning sensation that occurs when stomach acid comes up from the stomach and into our esophagus. However, that’s not the only symptom. Regular acid reflux can cause:
- Trouble swallowing
- Upset stomach
- A sour taste in your mouth
- Lump in your throat
- Chronic cough
- Hoarseness
These symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable for some. It can interfere with getting a good night’s sleep and decrease your overall quality of life. Not to mention uncontrolled acid reflux can lead to more serious health problems.
Foods Known To Cause Heartburn
It can be a bit of a trial-and-error process to discover what foods do and do not trigger your acid reflux symptoms. When starting out, it might be wise to eliminate all of the most common trigger foods from your diet. The Mayo Clinic lists common acid reflux triggers as:
- Fatty or fried foods
- Tomato sauce
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Mint
- Garlic
- Onion
- Caffeine
Many people also have trouble with citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, as well as carbonated beverages. If you find your symptoms resolve after removing these foods from your diet, you can try adding some back one by one to see what foods cause symptoms and what foods you can tolerate.
Foods That May Help Prevent Reflux
You might understandably be a bit upset at the thought of giving up pizza and French fries, potentially for good. Thankfully there is still plenty of tasty and nutritious food that you can eat to help prevent acid reflux. The next time you’re at the grocery store or the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market, consider picking up some of these helpful foods:
- Green vegetables: Green beans, asparagus, leafy greens, broccoli
- Root vegetables: Sweet and regular potatoes, carrots, beets
- Whole grains: Oatmeal, brown rice, couscous
- Non-citrus fruits: Melons, apples, bananas
- Lean protein: Chicken, fish, turkey, seafood, egg whites
- Healthy fats: Avocados, olive oil, walnuts
When To See a Doctor
If you continue to experience acid reflux several times a week, even after adjusting your diet, make an appointment with a healthcare provider. You made need to take medication to manage your symptoms. Surgery may be an option in severe cases that do not respond to other medical treatments.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, call Arizona Desert Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists today.
