How To Enjoy Holiday Meals When You Have Acid Reflux

Ideally, your body has a one-way system for food to flow through you. Once it passes your esophagus into your stomach, your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) should seal shut. This keeps the contents of your stomach — including the acid your body uses to break food down — where it should be.

The problem, though, is that your LES doesn’t always work like it should. When it doesn’t seal shut properly, you might get heartburn or a bitter taste in your mouth. In short, you deal with acid reflux. 

Since acid reflux is often made worse by large, indulgent meals, this issue can get particularly bothersome during the holiday season. But you don’t have to suffer through it. Matthew W. Shawl, MD, specializes in treating acid reflux. Visit our team at our Union Square office in New York City so you can enjoy holiday meals all season long. 

A personalized acid reflux prevention plan

Dr. Shawl starts by evaluating your body and your specific symptoms. Talk with him about your experience with acid reflux so he can best tailor a treatment program for you. 

To further understand what’s going on with your LES and how it affects you, Dr. Shawl might order additional diagnostic testing, like an upper endoscopy, pH probe, or swallowing study. 

Once he diagnoses your acid reflux and has a clear understanding of how it affects you, he gets to work creating a personalized plan to bring you relief. 

Usually, that includes some lifestyle changes. Specifically, Dr. Shawl recommends eating smaller meals more slowly and stopping eating three hours before bed.

He also helps you explore your medication options. Some people get relief with over-the-counter options like stomach acid reducers or antacids. Others require prescription medication to soothe their acid reflux symptoms, which Dr. Shawl can prescribe. 

Our team will continue working with you until you have your acid reflux under control. If medication and lifestyle changes don’t alleviate the issue, Dr. Shawl may recommend surgery. 

Lifestyle tips to manage acid reflux

During the holiday season, you want to enjoy your favorite foods and drinks without suffering afterward. With that goal in mind, Dr. Shawl offers these strategies:

• Eat and drink more slowly
• Eat smaller portions
• Minimize your intake of spicy and high-fat foods
• Avoid eating in the last few hours before bed
• Drink fewer alcoholic and caffeinated beverages

If your acid reflux is generally worse at night, you can make bed positioning changes to help. For starters, try propping yourself up a little bit as you sleep. 

Your shoulders should be propped up, too — not just your head. You might insert a foam wedge between your mattress and your box spring, for example. Elevating yourself in this way helps to keep your acidic stomach contents lower in your abdomen. 

Sleeping on your left side can also help. This keeps your LES above your stomach, making it easier for that sphincter to stay sealed shut. 

These are just a few tips to get you started. For comprehensive acid reflux care during the holidays and into the new year, call our Manhattan office or book an appointment online today.