Why the occasional reflux?

Digestive health
1

Hello all,

I've been suffering from acid reflux on and off for 4 years, occasionally undergoing a course of pantaprazole tablets. This latest time, I decided after a few months to take myself off them. So far it's been fine. I'm doing all the right things diet-wise, but I still have the odd problem with a small bit of reflux as well as those times where I can feel air coming up and I have to swallow to repress it otherwise I know there will be acid.

These few times I get it, as has been the case over the last few years, has been after food which has seemed harmless. When I occasionally eat lots of rich, spicy, even fried food and even drink alcohol (very rare), I tend to have NO trouble. Then, a day later, rice, raw veg and tinned fish for lunch and I experience this unrest.

My question is twofold 1) what is the best breakfast for the stomach in this sense and how much shoud I eat and 2) can eating a food that triggers discomfort at breakfast continue to trigger discomfort throughout the day. What i mean by this second question is, can the reflux effects/or weakened LES muscle effects later in the day be BECAUSE of breakfast?

Thank you,

Simon

2

Recent research has confirmed foods do not change the stomach's acidity. You only need to avoid foods you discover to be a trigger pertinent to you.

Reflux happens when too much pressure from the stomach causes the lower oesophagel sphincter to malfunction. This may often be due to a hiatus hernia.

The secret is not to overfill your stomach. Eat slowly, chew well. You want your stomach to process the food and move it on to the duodenum efficiently.

While the stomach empties (usually up to an hour) , avoid exercise that will compress shake or tilt the stomach. (Though a walk is good as the gentle, upright, motion helps peristalsis. )

3

Hi Barretts - thanks for the information.

I am running a lot at the moment, both on an empty stomach and at least four hours after eating lunch. I still get a tiny bit of reflux, although mostly I feel air coming up through the stomach which I need to swallow to repress as I feel it will give me a small bit of acid. It feels as though the running is knocking air back up through my stomach.