Introduction: As the Spring Festival approaches once again, this is China's most distinctive traditional holiday. During the Spring Festival holiday, it's inevitable for family and friends to gather for food and drinks. However, the esophagus, as the "first passageway" of the digestive tract, often gets "injured."
According to doctors, among esophageal diseases, the most common are esophagitis and foreign objects in the esophagus.
With the improvement of people's living standards, people's dietary structure has undergone significant changes, and the problem of "not having enough rice to cook" is no longer a concern.
Instead, due to a series of poor eating habits such as long-term consumption of strong liquor, smoking, eating food that is too hard or too hot, and eating too quickly, as well as numerous other reasons like obesity that increase the incidence of gastric acid reflux into the esophagus, the incidence of esophageal diseases is constantly on the rise.
To maintain esophageal health, it must be well cared for.
Doctors have shared a few health tips for everyone:
1. For nuts and other similar foods, be sure to chew them thoroughly, crushing and grinding them before swallowing. Try to avoid swallowing sharp foods like shrimp shells.
2. Do not eat food that is too hot. In winter, people love hot pot and mala tang, but it's essential to consider the esophagus's tolerance to high temperatures. Many people think their teeth can withstand some extreme temperatures, so they swallow that food. But one must know that the esophagus is even more fragile and truly "cannot afford to be hurt."
For more delicious hot pot recipes, check out our special feature: Nourishing Hot Pots to Beat the Harsh Winter
3. A little wine is pleasant, but too much will harm the body. Especially high-proof liquor, drinking too much can cause choking, which is actually harming the esophagus. When drinking, try to drink less and choose a lower proof.
4. Binge eating can also harm the esophagus. This is because overeating can cause gastric acid to reflux. The esophagus cannot tolerate acidic gastric fluid. Over time, this can lead to a burning sensation behind the sternum, pain or a feeling of obstruction when swallowing. In severe cases, difficulty in swallowing can occur.