Can You Trust An Acid Reflux Pillow To Help You?
If you suffer from acid reflux, you will become familiar with the acute burning sensation that distinguishes this condition. Very often the acute heartburn will get aggravated when you lie down because without the gravity to check it, the reflux would cause the contents of the stomach easily spill out into the esophagus. When this takes place, the discomfort and pain will heavily interfere with your sleep.
What Is This?
It is believed that the condition gets aggravated at night because of your horizontal position which encourages the gastric juices and other contents of the stomach to freely float back into the food pipe. Hence, the easiest way to prevent it would be to change your position while sleeping. This is where and how you would be introduced to the acid reflux pillow.
This is indeed a pillow - a specially designed one which would help you keep your head and shoulders raised just enough to discourage the flowing back of the gastric juices. The acid reflux pillow comes in a wide variety of materials and quality that dictates its price; however the design is similar - it is an inflatable type of pillow which is aimed to fix your body in a reclining position while sleeping. The name, acid reflux pillow, is owed to its role in fighting this particular condition.
Does It Really Help?
Frankly, the results do vary from person to person; but if you look at it generally it definitely helps. In the end you, still feel the heartburn but it would no longer be aggravated by the continuous deep burning as before. You need to keep in mind that this is in no way a method that cures the problem; rather it is just a way to prevent it happening at night as often as it would have been without it. You would still need to consult a doctor to cure the condition with appropriate medication.
Though the acid reflux pillow can be bought over the counter, ensure that you inform and get the approval of your doctor before using it. It might be that with the right medication you would eliminate the problem without needing the pillow at all. The use of an acid reflux pillow could be contraindicated in certain conditions such as spinal chord injury, slipped disk, sciatica, or chronic lower back pain. If this is so and you use it, you would end up inviting more problems than relief.
