What could be better than enjoying a holiday meal with all your favorites — pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes (extra gravy), white bread and butter, turkey, caffeine, carbonated or alcoholic beverages, and snacks in between, all while in good company?
The only thing I can think of is enjoying this without the subsequent heartburn.
Count your blessings if you can’t relate. However, the numbers suggest 20 percent of you are well-acquainted with GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease.
When contained within the stomach, hydrochloric acid does wonders for digestion (breaks down nutrients for absorption in the small intestine) and keeps us healthy (reduces pathogens). But, if your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) gets lazy, that strong gastric acid finds its way from your stomach to your esophagus. Unlike your stomach, the lining of the esophagus is not designed to protect against such acidity — and it’s uncomfortable.
Perhaps describing your LES as “lazy” is unfair. More accurately, it is relaxed. Who isn’t after a big, carbohydrate and fat-rich meal?
Lifestyle modification is one of the first approaches to managing GERD.
Alcohol, caffeine, carbonation, mint, meals high in simple carbs and fat, and spicy foods are all believed to relax the LES.
Yet, oddly enough, the effectiveness of dietary modifications for controlling GERD is inconsistent from one person to another.
Not to say an elimination diet isn’t worth a try. It may help you identify your trigger(s). Conversely, and more often than not, you’ll discover no one food or type of food triggers your GERD.
Back to the drawing board. The following practices may be more effective in reducing the incidence and severity of GERD:
• Reduce portion sizes.
• Choose high-fiber carbs over simple sugar carbs.
• Allow two to three hours between the last meal and bedtime.
• Elevate your head during sleep.
• Try weight loss and smoking cessation, if indicated.
If all else fails, talk to your provider about proton-pump inhibitors. They are highly effective and may outweigh the complications of uncontrolled GERD.
Of course, change can wait until after the holidays. What difference will a few more episodes of heartburn make, anyway?
CPR and first aid classes
CPR and first aid certification classes are offered every other month at the CSU Extension office, generally on the third Monday and Wednesday from 6 to 10 p.m. The cost for the classes is $80 for combined CPR/first aid and $55 for CPR, first aid or recertification. Call the Extension office at (970) 246-5931 to register.
Check out the online option on our website, https://archuleta.extension.colostate.edu/.
