Lifestyle Changes

For most children and teenagers, lifestyle modifications can help alleviate GERD symptoms. You can hang this handy guide to alleviating GERD symptoms on the fridge as a reminder of these lifestyle changes.

Eating Habits: It's important for both parents and kids to learn about a GERD-friendly diet. Certain "trigger foods" can cause GERD symptoms to occur. These foods differ from person to person, so try these meal-time tips with your child or teen to see what works best:

• Avoid onions, chocolate, peppermint, tomatoes, and fatty, fried, or spicy foods - these are known to be troublesome
• Coffee, tea, cola, tomato juice, citrus fruits, and citrus juice also can aggravate symptoms, so have these only in moderation
• Eat frequent, smaller meals rather than a few larger meals
• Eat dinner earlier in the evening (more than 2-3 hours before bedtime) to give the stomach more time to empty

Sleep Positioning: When your child is sleeping, it is harder for his or her body to neutralize acid. This can provoke nighttime symptoms such as heartburn, regurgitation, coughing, and wheezing. One easy thing you can do to try to alleviate symptoms is elevate the head of your child's bed at least 6 inches. Many people put bricks or concrete blocks under one end of the bed frame. Pillows alone are not effective enough.

Additional Lifestyle Changes:

• Being overweight can promote GERD symptoms. Talk to your child's doctor about reaching and maintaining an ideal weight through healthy diet and exercise
• Wear loose clothing to help keep pressure off the stomach
• Both smoking and drinking alcohol cause the muscles in the esophagus to relax, allowing stomach acid to back up into the esophagus. Talk openly with your kids about the many reasons not to drink or smoke

These lifestyle methods can be helpful, but they're not always enough to keep GERD under control. That's why it's important to talk to the doctor about your child's symptoms. He or she may recommend an over-the-counter medicine, for example an antacid or a prescription medication that suppresses acid.