Acid reflux occurs when the valve at the bottom of your esophagus – the lower esophageal sphincter – where your esophagus meets your stomach, is weakened or damaged and does not function properly. Normally, as you eat, muscles in your throat pass food through your LES into your stomach. The valve then closes while your stomach acid dissolves the food. In people with acid reflux, the LES doesn’t stay closed, and stomach acid splashes back up into your esophagus. Avoiding breakfast will not stop this from happening.
Acid Reflux Causes
Hiatal hernias, obesity, normal aging, smoking and overindulging in alcohol are all known to cause acid reflux. In people who have acid reflux, certain foods, including acidic foods, carbonated drinks, chocolate, citrus fruits, fried or fatty foods and peppermint, can trigger an attack.
Acid Reflux Symptoms
The symptoms of acid reflux include an acid taste, burning sensation, burping, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, sore throat or mouth and frequent throat clearing. Symptoms often get worse when you are bending over, wearing tight clothing, lying down or lifting heavy things.
Acid Reflux Treatments
Lifestyle changes often help reduce the symptoms of acid reflux. These include avoiding your trigger foods, wearing looser clothing, losing weight and giving up smoking or drinking. Sleeping with your head and shoulders or the head of your bed elevated a few degrees also helps. Over-the-counter medications such as antacids can help, as well as proton inhibitors, which reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces. Because they inhibit your ability to absorb calcium, they should only be taken as a short-term solution.
Breakfast Facts
Eating a healthy breakfast is important to re-fuel your body and your brain after they’ve gone a long time without food. If you don’t snack before bed and you skip breakfast, it can be 12 to 14 hours or more before you eat again. This can cause your stomach to produce more acid, which may aggravate your acid reflux as soon as you do eat.
References
- Beaumont Health System: About Acid Reflux
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home
- Go Ask Alice!: Eating Tips When Heartburn Hits (Acid Reflux)
- NYU Medical Center: How to Reduce Acid Reflux
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - McKinley Health Center: The GERD Diet
