5 Tips for Dealing with Acid Reflux When Travelling
Having lived with acid reflux symptoms for quite a few years I know that sometimes travelling particularly on long haul flights where you don’t know your food options can be quite troublesome or worrying.
Undoubtedly when you are travelling there are a lot of things to consider, particularly for someone with acid reflux. Luckily though if you have minor or even more severe acid reflux with a little preparation beforehand and with a little thought you should be completely fine when travelling. 
Below are my top 5 tips on how to deal with acid reflux when travelling from my own personal experiences.
#1 Don’t Overeat
Probably my top tip when travelling is to not overeat. There are a couple of reasons I recommend this. The first reason being that when you eat too much in one sitting it puts more pressure on your stomach and importantly the valve about the stomach. When there is more pressure on this valve means more likelihood of acid reflux which we want to avoid.
The second reason is because when you are eating new foods in airports or on planes it will be often something you are not used to. So eating too much is not the best idea, particularly when you overload the stomach with foods the stomach isn’t familiar with.
#2 Drink Bottled Water
If you drink tap water or water that you aren’t used to this can lead to some possible issues with the stomach. Ideally try to drink only bottled water because this kind of water shouldn’t cause you any problems.
It’s also worth mentioning in certain countries you shouldn’t drink the water at all so it’s worth researching before you leave for your destination if the water is drinkable. Finally I would like to mention avoiding water when you are on the plane is wise, because the water is stored in big tanks which aren’t usually the cleanest – in this case after you pass through security you should buy water that will last you for your whole flight. 
#3 Bring Some Medicine
Of course I would recommend to bring medicine with you. Some people with acid reflux will take medicine regularly whereas some will only take some when they have a flair up. What I suggest is having some medicine in both your hand luggage and your main luggage as well. That way if you lose one you will still have medicine. I also recommend bringing at least 50% more medicine that you expect you will need during your travels. This way you will have enough in case you need more no matter what the reason.
One final thing I wanted to mention is if you take a Gaviscon type liquid like me and want to bring some on the plane you can. Just remember you will need it to be stored in clear bottles 100ml or less and kept in a clear transparent bag.
#4 Eat Plain Foods Where Possible
This may seem obvious but try to eat more plain foods when possible. When you are travelling your body will need to adapt to new foods and spices etc. So it’s best to keep them to a minimum at least initially when travelling. The same thing can be said to avoid trigger foods, things like spicy food, fatty foods, chocolate and coffee to name a few.
#5 Order the ‘Bland’ Meal Choice on Longer Flights
When you are travelling on longer flights where meals are provided some airlines provide the option for a bland meal. What a bland meal is, is basically a meal that is plain and doesn’t include spices etc or thing that could worsen acid reflux. They also usually include less preservatives and salt which is an added bonus.
These kinds of meals are basically for people who suffer from acid reflux – it’s usually what I opt for when flying long haul flights.