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===Foods===
Certain foods and lifestyle are considered to promote gastroesophageal reflux:
*[[Coffee]], [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]], and excessive amounts of [[Vitamin C]] supplements are stimulants of gastric acid secretion. Taking these before bedtime especially can promote evening reflux. Calcium containing antacids are in this group<ref>Decktor DL, Robinson M, Maton PN, Lanza FL, Gottlieb S. Effects of Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide and Calcium Carbonate on Esophageal and Gastric pH in Subjects with Heartburn. ''Am J Ther'' 1995;2:546-552. PMID 11854825.</ref>. (Although a study published in 2006 by [[Stanford University]] researchers disputes the effect of coffee, acidic, spicy foods etc. as a myth.<ref>Kaltenbach T, Crockett S, Gerson LB. Are lifestyle measures effective in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease? An evidence-based approach. ''Arch Intern Med'' 2006;166:965-71. PMID 16682569.</ref>)
*Foods high in fats and [[tobacco smoking|smoking]] reduce lower esophageal sphincter competence, so avoiding these tends to help, as well. Fat also delays emptying of the stomach.
*Having more but smaller meals also reduces the risk of GERD, as it means there is less food in the stomach at any one time.
*Eating shortly before bedtime (For clinical purposes, this usually means 2-3 hours before going to bed).
*Large meals
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*[[acid]]ic foods like oranges and tomatoes (However, they are okay when fresh.)
*[[cruciferous vegetables]]: onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, [[brussel sprouts]]
*[[milk]] and milk-based products contain calcium and fat, so should be avoided before bedtime
However, following this list of foods directly is not 100% accurate for some have a more serious case of GERD than others. Thus, it is up to an individual to decide which foods bother them and which ones do not. But practical advice offered by many sources is to avoid food for a minimum of 2 hours before bedtime and, also, not lying down after a meal.
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*[[Proton pump inhibitor]]s are the most effective in reducing gastric acid secretion. These drugs stop the secretion of acid at the source of acid production, i.e. the proton pump.
*[[Antacid]]s before meals or symptomatically after symptoms begin can reduce gastric acidity (increase the [[pH]]).
*[[Alginic acid]] (Gaviscon) may coat the mucosa as well as increase the pH and decrease reflux. A [[meta-analysis]] of [[randomized controlled trials]] suggests [[alginic acid]] may be the most effective of non-prescription treatments with a [[number needed to treat]] of 4 <ref name="pmid17229239">{{cite journal |author=Tran T, Lowry A, El-Serag H |title=Meta-analysis: the efficacy of over-the-counter gastro-oesophageal reflux disease therapies |journal=Aliment Pharmacol Ther |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=143-53 |year=2007 |id=PMID 17229239 | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.03135.x}}</ref>.
*Gastric [[H2 antagonist|H<sub>2</sub> receptor blockers]] such as [[ranitidine]] or [[famotidine]] can reduce gastric secretion of acid. These drugs are technically [[antihistamine]]s. They relieve complaints in about 50% of all GERD patients. Compared to placebo (which also is associated with improvement in symptoms), they have a [[number needed to treat]] of 8 <ref name="pmid17229239">.</ref>.
*[[Prokinetic]]s strengthen the LES and speed up gastric emptying. [[Cisapride]], a member of this class, was withdrawn from the market for causing [[Long QT syndrome]].
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==External links==
*[http://betteroralhealth.info Oral health care information for professionals and the public]
*[http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gerd/ NIH GERD patient information page]
*[http://heartburn.about.com/cs/articles/a/esophagitis.htm Esophagitis Candida (yeast) infections]
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