Many believe that heartburn and indigestion are the same thing. While both may have the same triggers and treatment options, they aren’t the same thing entirely. Indigestion is a condition and heartburn is typically a symptom of indigestion.

Indigestion often causes a vague feeling of discomfort and pain in the upper region of your abdomen and chest. You may have a feeling of fullness or bloating that is usually accompanied by belching and nausea. Heartburn is often a symptom of indigestion.

Indigestion is a very common problem that can be caused by several things. Before you can properly treat your indigestion, you need to know what causes it. Eating particular foods, drinking alcoholic or carbonated beverages and other health factors may cause indigestion and heartburn.

With so many causes and possible treatments available today you often need help in determining what to do. The best way to find this information is by going on the internet to find help. Many sites out there will help you to determine what causes your indigestion or heartburn. There are just as many if not more sites that will tell you how you can treat or prevent heartburn and indigestion.

Some of the top sites to help give you the best information for your heartburn and indigestion needs as well as the latest news and information can be found at the following sites.

The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders is a good site with information on diagnosis, treatment options and tips for those living with gastro-esophageal reflux disease or GERD.

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse is a good site with information about the symptoms, causes and treatment options for those with GERD.

The Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association has good information and support services for those parents who are raising children with GERD.

Kid’s Acid Reflux is an interactive site to help teach children about acid reflux disease and provide a lighter approach to the problem.

KidsHealth.org has a site for parents that will help them to determine if their child is suffering from GERD.

About Kids from the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders allows you to learn about the treatment options available for children who have GERD.

Making Life Better for a Baby with Acid Reflux is a great site with a lot of information pertaining to acid reflux in infants.

InfantRefluxDisease.com contains information and support services for infant acid reflux and parents dealing with the condition in their children.

TeensHealth.org is a site specifically for teenagers who need help coping with GERD. Teenagers can go to this site for information, advice and support.

If you suffer from GERD or frequent heartburn and indigestion then you may want to find someone who understands what you are feeling and going through. However, you may have trouble finding someone who knows specifically what you are going through.

A good idea would be to join an online support group who can provide you a listening ear and helpful tips to living with your condition. The following is four sites that have good support groups.

IFFGD Heartburn Helpline provides you links to finding the education and support you will need to deal with GERD.

GERD Town is a place to ask your questions about your condition and to share you stories with others who suffer from the same condition.

InfantRefluxDisease.com is a site for parents who need a help guide and support from other parents who have infants that suffer from GERD.

PAGER Forums is another site for parents to meet others who are raising children with GERD. It is also a place to go where you can learn more about acid reflux in children.

Doctors say acid reflux is affecting so many lives today because of the way people are choosing to eat. People are on the run all of the time and simply eating things for convenience. Fast food and unhealthy snacks are easy to scarf down and get on with the day, so that is what people are choosing to eat. Not only are they full of unhealthy sugars and calories, they are also not good for your digestive system.

In fact, some people are so sensitive to these unhealthy foods that they will have severe acid reflux or indigestion just because of their choice of diet. If you suffer from these discomforts, there are certain foods you should avoid. Check out these five foods to avoid when you suffer with acid reflux and get on your way to a better life.

Many people think you should only avoid fast food and spicy foods; however, there are many other foods to avoid, and they may surprise you. In fact, many of these foods are considered healthy for a balanced diet. Nevertheless, if you are sensitive to them and suffer often from indigestion and acid reflux, they are not the healthiest choice for you.

Fast Foods

Most of what you will get at a fast food place is not good for your acid reflux. However, the most inappropriate choices are French fries and greasy burgers. In addition, fried chicken is also not a wise choice.

When you do have to eat at a fast food joint, consider choosing their grilled options. Most places will offer at least one grilled chicken sandwich on their menu.

Fruits & Vegetables

As far as vegetables go, potatoes and onions are the biggest culprits for acid reflux and heartburn. In fact, most doctors suggest you avoid both at all costs. Mashed potatoes seem as if they would be harmless, but they cause many problems when eaten by those who often suffer.

Fruits are more expected with their high content of acid. Tomatoes, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and cranberries have the highest acid content and should be avoided by anyone with digestive problems.

Dairy

Many people think drinking milk when they have indigestion is a good idea. However, there are dairy products that can aggravate your indigestion and acid reflux. Sour cream and ice cream are two of the biggest problem foods in the dairy category. Cottage cheese is another thing that may hurt your stomach.

Drinks

A few drinks can also cause problems when you have severe indigestion. You should certainly stay away from alcohol. You can indulge every now and then, but only in small amounts. Liquor and wine are the worst forms you can drink. In addition, coffee and tea are also seen to be triggers for acid reflux.

Desserts

Most desserts are seen as being bad for acid reflux sufferers. Chocolate is one of the worst ingredients however to eat. Chocolate cakes or brownies can be very harmful to the digestive system. In addition, nothing with a high content of butter is good for you as well.

Once you have been diagnosed with acid reflux, it is important to find out how you can control your symptoms so you can live a more comfortable life. You will always have the acid reflux disease but you can at least reduce and in many cases prevent the symptoms of acid reflux by making several lifestyle changes.

Consider eating six small meals a day rather than the average three large meals. This will prevent your stomach from getting overfull. This will help reduce the amount of gastric pressure in your stomach. Along these lines, it is a good idea to eat slowly.

For at least two hours before going to bed, do not eat or drink anything. If you like to take naps during the day then perhaps you can consider sleeping in a chair. If you lay down on a full stomach, the contents in your stomach will press against the lower esophagus, which will increase your chances of acid reflux.

Quite a few foods and drinks can trigger acid reflux either through the increased production of acid and gastric pressure or by loosening up the lower esophagus muscle. Foods that trigger heartburn should be avoided.

Food that can irritate the lining of the esophagus such as spicy foods, coffee, citrus fruit and juices should be eaten in moderation. You should avoid eating these types of food altogether at dinner so you don’t get nighttime heartburn as a result.

If you do not know which foods are going to trigger you heartburn, try keeping a heartburn record for a week to determine what foods you need to stay away from.

Another thing to do is to avoid alcohol consumption. The alcohol will cause an increase in stomach acid while it relaxes the lower esophagus muscle. This allows the stomach contents to reflux back up into the esophagus.

However, you can still consume alcohol but you should do some in extreme moderation. If you notice complications from the intake of alcohol then you should discontinue drinking altogether.

You can also try sleeping with your head and shoulder on an incline. By sleeping with your head slightly higher than your stomach, you will help reduce the pressure and keep your stomach contents in the stomach. You can place either bricks or blocks under the legs at the head of your bed or you can purchase a wedge-shaped pillow that can elevate your head.

Avoid wearing tight fitting clothing that constricts the area around the stomach. Tight fitting clothing will squeeze the stomach which forces food up against the lower esophagus and can cause food to reflux into the esophagus.

Along the lines of no alcohol, it is a good idea to quit smoking. Smoking stimulates the production of stomach acid, which can lead to an increase of acid reflux symptoms.

Another idea is to relax. While stress has not been specifically linked to heartburn, stress has been known to lead to the behaviors that can trigger your acid reflux symptoms. Develop some good relaxation tips to help alleviate stress and make stress-related heartburn behaviors less likely.

Eating out can be quite a treat when you are a healthy person that does not deal with acid reflux on a daily basis. However, if you are someone with severe acid reflux, eating out can spell trouble with a capital “T”.

Just because you have severe acid reflux does not mean you should skip out on those dinner dates or avoid going out with friends though. You just need to be sure to keep a few things in mind when you are eating out.

The first thing you should remember when eating out is that just because you are treating yourself to a meal in a restaurant doesn’t mean you should abandon all rules that go with your regular acid reflux diet.

Most people who have severe acid reflux are on special diets and these diets should be upheld when going out as well. If you are familiar with the restaurant, you will likely be able to find something that will go with your healthy diet.

However, if you are worried about finding something, look at the restaurant’s website online. Most chains will have their menu online, which can help you choose ahead of time what you will order.

When you stick with your diet, even when eating out, you will not likely suffer any embarrassing problems associated with your severe acid reflux. So, try your best not to give into temptation and you will be happier in the end.

If you must sample something you typically think of as a “forbidden” food, then be sure to take only a tiny bite or two. That way you can still have a taste, without wrecking your body.

Another thing you need to do when you have severe acid reflux is to watch the amounts you eat. Even if you are eating healthy foods at the restaurant, you do not want to eat too much.

Many people who suffer with acid reflux problems will vomit if they overeat. Eating out at a restaurant is the most common place for someone to overeat. This is because of several reasons.

First, today’s restaurants fill their plates with excess food. Their portions are way out of control and most people will eat them without thinking twice about it. Therefore, you really need to watch yourself with portion control. Think about having a light soup instead of a full meal when going out.

This will help you to avoid overindulging while engaged in conversation. Often people will continue eating while socializing and end up eating too much only because they were not paying attention to their eating behaviors.

So, instead of making up excuses for not eating out with friends due to your severe acid reflux, just follow these tips. You will find that you can go out and have a great time at dinner without having to worry about some embarrassing issue with your acid reflux.

As long as you follow the rules you do in your daily routine, you will be fine and be able to enjoy yourself. Since most restaurants have a full menu, there should be no problem in you finding something appropriate to eat.

Have you heard of acid reflux? You likely have. You might even think you might be suffering from it yourself. Many symptoms and signs go along with acid reflux and indigestion. The best source you can have is your doctor.

However if you are interested in doing the research yourself, you can find a wealth of material on the Web on acid reflux and indigestion. Look at how most people define acid reflux and indigestion and think about if you need to discuss your symptoms further with your medical professional.

Acid Reflux

When you start talking about acid reflux, the word GERD might pop up as well. GERD, which is short for gastro esophageal reflux disease, occurs when the acid from your stomach is regurgitated into your esophagus. This can create a bad taste in your mouth, a burning sensation in your throat, and more.

The process associated with GERD is very harmful. Although many people choose to live with the unpleasant effects, there are things that can be complicated when you deal with GERD over a long period.

One of the complications can be erosion of the esophagus. This can lead to Barrett’s disease or other problems with your esophagus. In addition, your esophagus can stay corroded and bothered, which is called esophagitis.

The thing to remember about acid reflux is that it can and should be treated. If you choose not to treat it, you should know it will not go away and might even get worse. You should take your medication as directed to control your symptoms and keep complications from arising.

Indigestion

Indigestion is often grouped into the same category with acid reflux however they are not exactly the same things. Those with indigestion can also have acid reflux. Indigestion is often seen as being a milder form in fact. However, most people will indigestion will experience different symptoms.

Some of the common symptoms of those with indigestion are gassy episodes, discomfort in the chest and neck area, and nausea. While the symptoms can feel similar, the causes are often different as well. One of the main reasons people feel indigestion is because of their eating habits.

One thing people with indigestion often do is eat too quickly. They may not give their food enough time to go through the digestive system after each bite. Therefore, you may want to take your time when you eat to avoid the symptoms that go along with indigestion.

Another reason many people have indigestion is because they eat too much at one time. If you tend to overeat, you will likely get indigestion. Try to eat half as much as you typically do and see if your symptoms cease a bit.

The bad news is that both acid reflux and indigestion are both bothersome conditions that can strongly affect your life. However, the good news is that the symptoms can be treated through lifestyle changes and medication. So, attack your acid reflux and indigestion head on and take control of your life again.