Among the gifts of the holiday season, you might find one that's not so nice: heartburn.
The holiday foods that are most loved, like turkey, gravy and pie, are mostly fat, according to Dr. Gulchin Ergun, medical director the Reflux Center at Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist Hospital in Houston. The fat that makes food taste so good also leads to heartburn, which is caused when stomach acid overcomes the barrier between the stomach and esophagus.
The easiest way to prevent heartburn is to avoid the foods and drinks that trigger it, like high-fat foods, foods high in acidity and alcoholic drinks. But if you can't bear to give them us, consider these tips:
Move around. Take a walk or play a game of touch football with your family after dinner.
Take an antacid.
Eat in moderation. If you have to have a piece of pecan pie, go easy on the ham or just eat a little of everything on your plate.
A little heartburn's no cause for alarm. But if you have symptoms two or three times a week, see your doctor. More than 7 million Americans suffer from chronic heartburn, called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Left untreated, GERD can increase the risk for esophageal cancer. Diet modification, prescription remedies and surgery are all options to relieve symptoms of GERD.