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You first experience with heartburn isn't just painful, it's alarming — and confusing. Especially when you realize that not only did last night's glass of red wine set your reflux off, but this morning's mimosa-and-avocado-toast brunch left you downing Pepto, too. Seriously, what gives?
Well, as Felice Schnoll-Sussman, MD, a gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, told us a few months ago, there are some simple things you can do at home to make your acid reflux less frequent. For starters, you'll want to learn some general guidelines for which foods can trigger heartburn.
When you have acid reflux, stomach acid is actually coming up out of your stomach and into your esophagus. So you'll want to avoid any foods that are acidic or that cause your stomach to produce more acid. That includes such delicious items as citrus fruit, fried chicken, and, ugh, wine — along with many more.
You don't necessarily need to stop eating these altogether (I mean, come on). But if you've recently dealt with a bout of reflux and you're looking for ways to prevent more, it's worth trying to cut back on those foods or to cut them out of your diet until you feel better.
However, not everyone has the same trigger foods, and not everyone is triggered to the same degree. So it may take some trial-and-error before you figure out yours. And certainly don't hesitate to bring in the help of your doctor or a gastroenterologist on this quest. Ahead, see a few common reflux-causing foods to help you suss out which ones need to go.
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