Heartburn (Pyrosis): Prevention

To prevent pyrosis (heartburn), attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

• Diet
  • Malnutrition:
    • Large, high-fat meals
    • Drinks rich in sugar such as cocoa or too much sweets (especially chocolate).
    • Hot spices
  • Fruit juices (eg citrus juices / orange juice) with a lot of fruit acids.
  • Peppermint tea and peppermint lozenges (mint).
  • Eating too hastily
  • Last food intake late in the evening before bedtime (better before 6:00 p.m.)
• Consumption of stimulants
  • Alcohol
  • Coffee
  • Tobacco (smoking)
• Psycho-social situation
  • Stress
• Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).

Prevention factors (protective factors)

• Dietary change – a vital substance-rich, balanced diet – less acid-forming foods and more base-donating foods, respectively.
• Large, high-fat meals should be avoided. Instead, it is important to take smaller meals spread throughout the day – the greater the stomach volume and the longer the residence time in the stomach, the greater the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (synonyms: GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); gastroesophageal reflux disease (reflux disease); gastroesophageal reflux; reflux esophagitis; reflux disease; Reflux esophagitis; peptic esophagitis); inflammatory disease of the esophagus (esophagitis) caused by the pathological reflux (reflux) of acid gastric juice and other gastric contents.
• Last food intake before bed rest at 18.00 o’clock
• Avoidance of:
  • Hot spices
  • Drinks rich in sugar such as cocoa or too much sweets (especially chocolate).
  • Fruit juices (eg citrus juices / orange juice) with a lot of fruit acids.
  • Peppermint tea and peppermint lozenges (mint).
  • Eating too hastily
• Upper body elevation to the night
• Obesity (being overweight) – causes the lower thoracic aperture (opening from the chest to the abdomen) to widen, increasing the risk; participate in a medically supervised weight loss program