Health & Medical stomach,intestine & Digestive disease

Acid Reflux And Pregnancy

It is believed that acid reflux occurs in as much as 50% of pregnancies.
When you consider that gaining weight, along with eating extra spicy and fatty foods, are a cause for anyone to suffer from heartburn, it wouldn't be surprising if all pregnant women had acid reflux.
After all, besides the inevitable weight gain, just how much ice cream with pickles and peppers can one person eat without getting reflux? Specific to the cause is a problem with the functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES.
What happens is that the LES, which is intended to remain closed during digestion, either does no close all the way or opens back up, and thus the acids and other digestive enzymes are able to move out of the stomach back into the esophagus.
Now, specific to pregnancy is (1) the production of progesterone from the placenta, and (2) an increased amount of pressure in the stomach from the growth of the baby.
The progesterone both relaxes the LES and slows down digestion, while the growing baby overcrowds the stomach, and as a result pregnant women are unfortunately continual sufferers of heartburn and reflux.
Remedies For Reflux Heartburn And Pregnancy Due to pregnancy, prescription or over the counter medicines that may typically be used to treat acid reflux, may now be something that you don't want to be taking.
The antacids that are not absorbed into the bloodstream should be safe to use.
The acid reflux medicines tend to be of different types, and some have had long terms studies regarding whether there is any effect on the fetus.
But, regardless of what it is, be sure not to take any kind of medicine on your own without consulting your doctor regarding the safety.
There are other things that can be done to reduce the amount of reflux, and then decrease the amount of discomfort that it causes.
These are going to be along the lines of the basic dietary and other solutions for general acid reflux treatment - here are some of the various things that can be done.
• Much acid reflux problems are the result of lying down to soon after eating, so try to remain upright for at least 45 minutes, and 2-3 hours would be better.
• Since much of reflux is a function of gravity, the elevation of the head of the bed or more conveniently, using an acid reflux wedge pillow to sleep on, can be very effective.
As well, sleep on your left side instead of your right side, as this helps maintain the pressure on the LES.
• For diet, foods that are extra spicy and fatty are of the worst for heartburn, as are foods with a lot of acid in them like tomatoes and citrus.
And it is best to stay away from sodas, even if it isn't caffeinated, which you should be trying to stay away from anyway, because of the carbonation.
There are a number of good cookbooks and guides that are especially written for an acid reflux diet.
• Of course, you shouldn't be drinking and smoking when you are pregnant, but besides being very risky for the baby, they are also major reflux contributors.
• Try eating more frequent smaller meals than fewer large meals, and don't drink large quantities of liquids with your meal.
Yes, it is important to drink lots of water, and that does help in reducing heartburn, but mostly drink it throughout the day - you are doing this to try to keep from over-expanding the stomach to the extent that you can.
• Chewing gum, especially after eating can help.
When you do this you are making additional saliva, and this will help in neutralizing stomach acids.
Do keep in mind that peppermints can cause heartburn, so pick a different flavor.
Ultimately, with pregnancy being the cause of the acid reflux and heartburn, having the baby may be the only actual way of getting rid of it.
Nonetheless, all of these things that have been suggested are used for treating of all reflux conditions, so they should at least be helpful in reducing it while pregnant.

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