It happens sometimes that severe pain in the chest region makes me call an ambulance. As an older person, the thought of a heart attack is unpleasant. On one occasion I took my care to the emergency center of the local hospital only to discover that there was nothing wrong with the organ. Years ago I was diagnosed with an episode of reflux due to a hiatal hernia and he warned me that this condition was going to recur, and that is probably the cause of the pain.

Once when it happened I was bending over while weeding the garden and about an hour later the pain was severe. This sent me back to the hospital by ambulance and my heart was fine again. I now have a small wrist blood pressure machine that tells me what my body is doing and has eased my worry considerably.

Recently, a television doctor advised patients with these symptoms to drink a glass of water about 15 minutes before eating. That apparently stops acid buildup in the digestive system and sounds like good advice to me.

Meanwhile I have learned to manage my problem. My advice is not to bend over but lower your body using your knees when picking up something off the ground. A change in diet has also helped and the time to eat the main meal of the day has moved from evening to morning. A smaller meal at night is more beneficial because it is not heavy on the stomach while sleeping.

The other adjustment I have made is less bread and for breakfast a smoothie has replaced the oatmeal that was part of my previous diet. It’s made with extra protein yogurt, at least five fruits consisting of banana, kiwi, apple, pear, and berries, and a celery stick. This gives it a nice balance and makes for a delicious hearty meal without the gluten of oats. Avoiding fatty foods is another great benefit.

There are other benefits of such a controlled diet. Headaches are a thing of the past since sugar and salt were eliminated from the diet. Now my blood pressure is usually around 120 over 80 and my heart rate is between 70 and 80.

As with anything, we need to manage pain by understanding its cause. Once we do that, the solution is usually obvious. Heartburn and reflux are now a thing of the past for me as there hasn’t been an episode for months.