Can You Drink Alcohol with Hernia?

… Continued …

1. Certain foods. Restrict foods that make your hernia-discomforts worse! For examples, spicy foods, onions, chocolate, coffee, mint, and tomato-based products can also trigger heartburn. Some of these foods are very rich in acid.
2. Poor in dietary fiber. Fiber can help a lot to prevent constipation and straining during bowel movements. So get adequate fiber by eating more high-fiber foods.
3. Being obese! As noted before, obesity is a risk factor of many types of hernia. More excess pounds of weight you gain, the higher the risk of having hernia and developing hernia-related problems such as GERD. Obesity may also aggravate the disease, making it worsen more quickly.
4. The way of how you eat matters, too. For example, eat smaller meals throughout the days instead of eating 2-3 large meals a day. And if you want to lie down after you eat, wait about 2-3 hours! Also, late-night snacks are not recommended.
5. Cigarette smoking. Tobacco smoke can hurt many parts of the body, including abdominal muscles and tissues. It can also lead to chronic cough that aggravate the hernia.
6. Heavy lifting. If you need to lift heavy object, do it carefully – if necessary ask someone else to help you.
7. Tight clothing. Avoid wearing tight clothing, especially one that is very tight around your middle!

How to cut down on alcohol?

If you think it’s still OK to drink, again do it in moderation to keep safe. Or follow your doctor instructions – sometimes alcohol is forbidden for some types of hernia.

There are a number of ways to help cut down on your alcohol intake, here are some helpful ones:

1. Know exactly what you’re buying – choose small glasses (125 ml) rather than large ones (250 ml). For example, if you’re a wine drinker, small glasses can help spread one 750 ml bottle into 7-9 glasses (125ml) for a few days.
2. Drink with foods! Try enjoying your drink with a meal so you can have a leisurely period of time without losing control on how much you drink. Drink without an empty stomach can help allow the body to absorb alcohol more slowly.
3. Avoid any triggers that can drive you lose control on what you drink. Find your urges to drink, and then avoid them!!
4. Fill your free time with some alternatives. Sometimes it’s not easy to cut down on your booze intake if alcohol has occupied a lot of your time, especially when you have days of leisure – developing new hobbies, healthy activities, and even good relationships with others can help.
5. Keep track of how much alcohol you drink. If necessary, use a drinking tracker card and keep it in your wallet!