Does water help with acid reflux?

If you’re someone who deals with acid reflux regularly, you’ll know how painful and persistent it can be.

The burning in your chest, nausea that arises, and a painful stomach ache after eating all point to something triggering your acid reflux. If you only get it now and then, the hunt for relief can be frantic. A lot of the time, it creeps up on you when you least expect it.

If you’ve only just started dealing with acid reflux, you may be wondering whether water can help. Today, we’ll get into the role of water in calming acid reflux symptoms, how much water you should be drinking, and drinks you should absolutely avoid.

Key takeaways

  • Acid reflux happens when stomach acid travels back up into the oesophagus.
  • Common symptoms include heartburn, a sour taste in the mouth, coughing, hiccups and a hoarse voice, and symptoms are often worse after eating or lying down.
  • Small sips of water can help manage acid reflux symptoms by washing the acid down and back into the stomach.
  • Aim to drink water 30 minutes before and after meals.
  • However, water shouldn’t be used as a cure for acid reflux, as it only helps to manage it; people should instead turn to prescribed medication to deal with the disease.
  • If reflux is a regular problem, it’s worth cutting back on drinks that can trigger symptoms, such as alcohol, coffee and other caffeinated drinks, citrus-based drinks, and fizzy drinks.

What is acid reflux?

Acid reflux is what happens when stomach acid moves back up towards the throat instead of staying where it should.

Since stomach contents are only supposed to travel down the oesophagus, when they start travelling up, it means the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) isn’t doing what it should be doing.

It helps to think of the LES as a door that only opens and closes to allow food to travel down into the stomach. If this muscle becomes weakened, stomach acid can escape and travel upwards, causing the tissues in your oesophagus to inflame, which is what leads to heartburn, stomach ache, and indigestion.

Some people may even experience:

  • A sour, acidic taste in the mouth
  • Hiccups
  • A hoarse voice
  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • A persistent cough

Symptoms generally tend to worsen after meals, when bending over, or when lying down. Most people will deal with acid reflux in their lives, but if it keeps happening over time, you may have GORD, which is a digestive condition, or the long-term form of acid reflux.

If left untreated, it can cause serious health issues.

Common triggers of acid reflux

Like with anything, triggers for acid reflux can vary from person to person, but there are a few common ones that seem to catch many people out.

For a lot of people, symptoms are more likely to flare up after certain foods and drinks, especially coffee and other caffeinated drinks, alcohol, chocolate, spicy foods, high-fat foods, mint, tomatoes, and citrus-based foods or drinks.

However, it’s not only what you eat and drink that you should be focusing on. Large meals, eating too close to bedtime, and lying down soon after eating can also make reflux more likely, because they give stomach contents an easier chance to move back up into the oesophagus.

That’s why the NHS recommends avoiding eating food 3-4 hours before bed, especially if you live with GORD. Everyday habits like drinking too much alcohol, smoking, carrying excessive weight, or wearing tight clothing can also worsen symptoms, since they increase pressure on the stomach.

Does water help acid reflux?

Water is a quick and accessible way to help manage acid reflux symptoms as soon as they start.

If symptoms come on, a few small sips of water may help wash acid back down into the stomach and get rid of that unpleasant burning or sour taste in the mouth. It works by diluting the stomach acid, reducing irritation and calming the burning sensation or heartburn in your chest.

However, you should only take a few small sips of water since gulping it down will have the opposite effect. That’s because too much water can increase the volume of your stomach content and put pressure on the LES.

If you drink water regularly throughout the day, your stomach will be able to break down food more easily and maintain a balanced level of stomach acid, helping prevent symptoms from arising. Aim to drink water 30 minutes before and after eating.

While water can help relieve acid reflux symptoms in the moment, it’s important to remember that it’s only a quick solution, not a long-term fix. Ongoing problems require broader dietary, lifestyle, and medical support.

How much water should you drink?

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day supports your digestive system, helping reduce stomach issues after eating and drinking.

The NHS recommends that adults drink around 6-8 glasses of fluid a day to support bodily functions. If you’re highly active, unwell, pregnant, breastfeeding, or in a hot environment, aim to drink more fluids throughout the day.

That doesn’t mean you should only drink water, though; flavoured water, tea, coffee, and water-rich foods also count toward your daily intake (just make sure you rely less on sugary drinks and unhealthy foods to keep you hydrated).

A good rule of thumb is to drink regularly throughout the day rather than waiting until you feel thirsty or are experiencing acid reflux. Keeping a bottle of still water nearby and taking small, regular sips can do wonders.

Drinks to avoid when dealing with acid reflux symptoms

Some drinks are well known for making symptoms worse.

While that doesn’t mean you need to cut them out of your diet altogether, reducing how much you drink them may help manage acid reflux symptoms.

  • Fizzy drinks: The carbonation can make reflux symptoms more uncomfortable.
  • Coffee: Regular and decaffeinated coffee can irritate symptoms for some people.
  • Alcohol: Can relax the lower oesophageal sphincter, the valve that helps keep stomach acid where it belongs, making it easier for acid to travel back up.
  • Citrus juices: Orange juice, grapefruit juice, tomato-based drinks, and lemon drinks are very acidic and may irritate the oesophagus when reflux is already happening.
  • High-fat drinks: Milkshakes or very creamy drinks can slow stomach emptying, which may leave more stomach contents sitting there for longer and increase the chance of reflux symptoms.
  • Peppermint tea: In some people, it can relax the lower oesophageal sphincter, triggering acid reflux symptoms.

Have access to fresh spring water daily

If you are trying to stay on top of your hydration habits, having fresh water close by can make all the difference.

At Cool Water Company, our water coolers make it easier to sip water regularly throughout the day, whether you are at home, in the office or managing a busy workplace. That way, you can manage acid reflux symptoms and enjoy a healthier digestive system.

It also means you can ditch the unpleasant tap water and sugary drinks. Why not enjoy a free trial first to see what our coolers can do for you?