Acid reflux occurs when the acid in the stomach flows from your stomach to the tube connecting to the mouth—esophagus. It’s also commonly known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). And when it happens it irritates the esophagus lining. Acid reflux  becomes GERD when the reflux hapens repeatedly. 

It’s easy to manage the acid reflux symptoms without any hassle. You don’t have to worry about it. Sometimes you can manage them with medication or lifestyle change. Only a few cases require surgery—which is a rare occurrence. 

Acid reflux symptoms mainly include: 

• A burning sensation arount the chest
• Chest pain or upper abdominal 
• A lump sensation in your throat 
• Swallowing trouble 
• Nightime ongoing cough 
• Vocal cord inflammation 
• Worsening or new asthma 

Unfortunately, lifestyle is the number one cause of acid reflux. This is especially when you’re not mindful of your diet. Snacks specifically are the culprit of acid reflux. And to be on the save side, you need to choose snacks that won’t affect you. There are healthy snacks that will still give you a great experience when you choose them. 

what kind of crackers are good for acid reflux

If you get acid reflux after a meal, you probably fear taking any snack. But you don’t have to avoid all snacks. 

 Saltine snacks help deal with the burning sensation or stomach upsets caused by the acid reflex. 

 Bland snacks such as saltine work perfectly with acid reflux because they: 

• Soak the acid irritating when you have an empty stomach 
• They prevent the release of more acid in the stomach—as heavier foods do
• Saltine snacks don’t trigger symptoms such as nausea since they are odorless 
• The salt in them helps your body to regain the lost electrolytes 

So if you’re dealing with acid reflux, then consider getting saltine snacks. They will help deal with the possible heartburn and other acid-reflux-related symptoms. 

What Exactly Are Saltine Crackers? 

Saltine crackers are rough-textured, light, crispy, and a little bit salty snacks that are assumed to be pantry staple. They come in different shapes, and sizes. The most popular ones are the square crackers that you can’t miss to see anywhere. 

Saltine crackers are mostly eaten with cheese or butter. And they can also be served with chilli, soups, or stew. 

Their ingredients mainly include: 

• White flour 
• Yeast 
• Baking soda
• Water 
• Seasoning 

Some types of crackers use either even or coarse salt. And the traditional crackers comes with salt sprinkled on them—hence the name saltine. 

And the best thing with saltine crakers is that they have low-fat cheese. This means with them, you won’t have to deal with acid reflux attacks that are caused by high-fat cheese. 

Other Snacks for Heartburn

If you’re experiencing heartburn when you eat certain snacks, then here are the safe ones. Try them out and you won’t have to worry about acid reflux anymore. 

1. Apple and Peanut Butter 

Remember that childhood snack? It’s time to slice up some apples and spreat your favorite peanut butter on them. The apple juice complements the saltiness of the nuts which makes them good for heartburns. Plus this a snack rich in proteins, and useful vitamins. 

2. Smoothies Without Citrus 

Cirtrus fruits are bad for acid reflux. So, anything that has cirtrus will be bad for you. Smoothies are perfect. But don’t have any citrus or acidic ingridient in them. And for a better experience, use low fat yogurt when preparing the smoothies. The best of the smoothis for acid reflux is the strawberry banana smoothie. It’s delicious and gives your body enough energy to keep on doing other things that you could be up to. 

3. Whole Wheat Toast with Jam 

Wheat toasts and jam are great choice for dealing with acid reflux. But when you choose jam, stay away from jams made with citrus. Although, most people prefer to spread some butter on their toast, avoid the high-fat spreads. They are not good with your acid reflux. 

Types of Snacks to Avoid With GERD

There are many foods that could trigger acid reflux in your body. But when it comes snacks, you might need to stay away from anything with citrus acid or fruits—lemmons or oranges—chocolates, potato chips. The goal is to keep the acid levels in the snacks low. The fat content should be at the bare minimum. This is because high-fats are notorious in causing heartburn. 

Top Tips To Manage Acid Reflux 

Most of the time it’s not always about the diet when it comes to dealing with acid reflux. There are lifestyle changes that can be very helpful in reducing or dealing with suffering simultaneously. The following are simple ways you can help your body to deal with acid reflux. 

• Eat small portions of food. Overeating leads to a release of more acid into your body system. 
• Work towards losing and maintaining healthy weight. The fat around your stomach could be causing extra pressure in your stomach, pushing food backward to the esophagus—triggering acid reflux symptoms. 
• Stop smoking. This is because smoking weakens the muscular valve at the bottom of your esophagus. And that means the opening to your stomach won’t be controlled properly.
• Stop eating before bedtime. This will give your stomach enough time to digest food before bedtime. 
• Avoid tight-fitting clothes around your stomach. Clothes could put more pressure on your stomach, forcing acid and food in your stomach to go up. This is common with shapewear and control-top panty-top. 
• Avoid medication that triggers the production of acid. They include medication such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory pain relievers. Try other painkillers such as acetaminophen or consult with your doctors to get a specific prescription for your situation. 

What’s The Difference Between heartburn and a a Heart Attack? 

When it comes to any symptom that’s affecting your chest, you can’t take any chances with it. This is because you might be thinking that you are dealing with heartburn while it’s a more serious issue. But how do you tell the difference? 

The difference between a heartburn and heart attack are symptoms such as shortness of breath, lightheadedness, sweating, or dizziness. The chest pains also spread to other parts of the body that includes back, jaw, and neck. 

However, not all heat attacks come with these specific symptoms. So, if you have persistent chest pains don’t just assume that it’s an acid reflux. Consult your doctor to get a more detailed diagnosis and medical advice. 

When to See a Doctor About Acid Reflux 

If you have any chest pain, seek immediate medical attention. This is especially when the symptoms are similar with the heart attack symptoms shared above. But if it’s not that serious, get over-the-counter medication for heartburn. You can take them twice a week. 

Final Verdict 

Acid reflux is manageable. It’s not something to worry about. The best way to deal with it is through lifestyle change. It makes it easier for you to deal with the issue from its source. If you love snack, we recommend you take the saltine crackers. Those are safe crackers that will reduce acid reflux and give you energy at the same time. However, the most important thing is to ensure that you pay attention to the symptoms. That’s because some symptoms could mean that you have a serious issue like a heart attack.