FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 19, 2018 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 41
wellness
Tips for keeping heartburn at bay this season
While summer is synonymous with
beach days, vacations and barbecues,
there’s something else bringing the heat
this season: heartburn.
Summer is the most common season
for heartburn, according to a survey commissioned
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by store brand Omeprazole
Delayed Release Orally Disintegrating
Tablets 20 mg. (Omeprazole ODT is a
14-day treatment program that is not to
be repeated for four months. It should not
be used all season unless directed by your
doctor.) Beyond the physical discomfort
and pain, heartburn can also get in the
way of enjoying all that summer has to
off er. In fact, nearly one in four frequent
heartburn suff erers skip attending summer
barbecues, dinner with friends and
traveling when heartburn strikes.
From the food or beverages consumed
to the way we eat and when, there are
many factors that play a role in the onset
of heartburn. To help keep it at bay this
season, internal medicine physician at
Lenox Hill Hospital and Mount Sinai
Medical Center Dr. Keri Peterson recommends
the following tips:
1) Be mindful of food choices
Many quintessential summer foods and
beverages can contribute to heartburn.
Ice cream, hot dogs, wine and lemonade
are some of the top culprits. Limiting, or
even avoiding when possible, the consumption
of fatty, fried or spicy foods
can help diminish the chance of heartburn
rearing its ugly head. While these
foods are oft en known to lead to heartburn,
every person is diff erent. If you start
to see a pattern of certain foods triggering
your heartburn, it is best to cut your
intake of them.
2) Be prepared
Despite suff erers’ best eff orts, sometimes
heartburn is inevitable and current
treatment options are not conducive
to their busy summer lifestyles. Cue
new store brand Omeprazole ODT, the
fi rst and only orally dissolving form of
omeprazole, the No. 1 selling PPI ingredient
in heartburn treatment, available
for people suff ering from frequent heartburn,
defi ned as heartburn that occurs
two or more days per week. Find it at
retailers nationwide under each store’s
brand label. Th is product is not intended
for immediate relief; it may take 1-4 days
for full eff ect.
3) Opt for smaller meals
Eating smaller, more frequent meals
as opposed to three big meals each day
can help reduce the chance of heartburn.
When there’s a larger quantity of food in
the stomach, the stomach stays enlarged
for a longer period, increasing the chance
that food or acids will fi nd their way back
up into the esophagus. With smaller,
lighter meals, you decrease your risk of
this happening.
4) Consider losing weight
If you are overweight, consider an exercise
and diet regimen to improve your
health. Carrying excess weight can put
pressure on your stomach, driving more
acid up into the esophagus.
5) Check the time
Eating within two to three hours of
lying down can lead to heartburn, as the
meal just consumed can slide up into the
esophagus. Avoid lying down for at least
two hours aft er eating. When you do lay
down, use extra pillows to raise your head
a bit off the mattress. Sleeping at an elevated
angle can help stop the acid backup.
6) Channel your stress
From the butterfl ies-in-your-stomach
feeling brought on by anxiety to hunger
pangs caused by seeing tasty food,
the emotions a person feels have strong,
direct links to their stomach. Stress
has been found to induce heartburn
in some people because when a person
is stressed, the body will oft en slow
down digestion, causing food to stay
in the stomach longer and providing
more time for stomach acid to make its
way up to the esophagus. Try to reduce
your stress by doing some light exercise,
meditating, getting a good night’s sleep
or watching a funny movie to relieve
stress through laughter.
For more information, visit dissolveyourheartburn.
com.
Courtesy BPT
/www.chapinhome.org
