Long-term gastroesophageal reflux may increase the risk of esophageal cancer! Nutritionist Jian Yuhua: 7 tips for preventing gastroesophageal reflux

"belch! How come all the food I ate at noon ended up in my mouth again? ', 'My chest feels weird'... These reactions may often happen in your daily life, but don't habitually think that you just eat too much or digest slowly and delay treatment. Be careful of long-term gastroesophageal reflux, which will also increase the risk of esophageal cancer. Nutritionist Jian Yuhua from the Cancer Care Foundation reminds you that there are 7 tips for preventing gastroesophageal reflux disease and 3 points to pay attention to in your diet!

Causes of Gastroesophageal Reflux

Nutritionist Jian Yuhua said that to explore the causes of gastroesophageal reflux, we must first start with understanding the lower esophageal sphincter, which is a ring-shaped muscle located at the distal end of the esophagus. Under normal circumstances, when eating and swallowing, the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes to allow food liquid to enter the stomach smoothly. On the other hand, if the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, it will cause food to reflux and the refluxed gastric acid to come into contact with the esophagus, causing a hot feeling in the chest or throat, which is called "heartburn". Some people even mention "acid reflux".

What are the causes, symptoms and prevention methods of gastroesophageal reflux? The following are respectively explained:

Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms are divided into: typical and atypical.

“I don’t have acid reflux, but the doctor said I have gastroesophageal reflux? ! 』

In fact, reflux may not necessarily be caused by stomach acid! Backflow of air, food, bile, or intestinal fluid into the esophagus is a common and uncomfortable condition. The subsequent symptoms can be divided into typical and atypical symptoms:

Typical symptoms:

1. Hot feeling in the chest

2. Flatulence

3. Persistent hiccups

4. Stomach Upset

5. Nausea

Typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux include: hot feeling in the chest, bloating, persistent hiccups, etc.

Atypical symptoms:

1. Foreign body sensation in the larynx

2. Asthma

3. Dysphagia

4. Repeated hoarseness

5. Chronic sinusitis

6. Night cough

7. Chest tightness

8. Difficulty breathing

7 Tips to Prevent Gastroesophageal Reflux

What can we pay attention to in our diet or habits to improve or prevent gastroesophageal reflux? How can I adjust with doctor's treatment or correct my personal habits? Nutritionist Jian Yuhua said that it is generally recommended that you start with your habits:

1. Chew your meals slowly: Chewing your meals slowly can reduce the workload of the stomach on large pieces of meat.

2. Reduce talking during meals: Reducing talking during meals can prevent a large amount of air from entering the gastrointestinal tract.

3. Eat at regular times and in regular amounts: Eat in moderation, avoid overeating, and eat at regular times and in regular amounts.

4. Pay attention to your posture after meals: lying on the sofa after meals will increase the pressure on the abdomen and stomach. It is recommended to step or go for a walk. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the habit of some elders taking a nap immediately after meals.

5. Wear loose clothes: Wear loose clothes instead of tight clothes with tight waistbands.

6. Maintain a normal weight: Abnormal body posture can cause increased abdominal pressure, compressing the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract.

7. Relieve stress: There are many autonomic nerve plexuses in the gastrointestinal tract. Long-term stress and excessive tension lead to the hyperactivity of sympathetic nerves and cause stomach contraction. If you don’t pay attention, it may cause autonomic nervous system disorders.

Chewing your meals slowly can reduce the workload of your stomach on large pieces of texture.

3 points to note about gastroesophageal reflux diet

1. Reduce stimulating drinks: Replace coffee, tea, alcohol, soda and other stimulating drinks with boiled water. In addition to affecting the esophageal mucosal membrane, alcoholic coffee will also relax the lower esophageal sphincter and aggravate the symptoms of esophageal reflux.

2. Low-fat diet: Fried foods, animal skins (such as pig skin), and fatty meats contain high fat content, which can reduce the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter and increase the chance of gastroesophageal reflux.

3. Reduce refined sugar: ice cream, bread, cake, drinks, etc. can easily cause excessive secretion of gastric acid.