For Acid Reflux, Natural Remedies Are A Good Alternative
Acid reflux disease is a painful condition caused by stomach acid rising through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and irritating the esophagus. Acid reflux is just one name for the disorder; it is also known by its medical name, "gastro esophageal reflux disease" (GERD) or by the less formal term "gastric reflux" or simply "reflux."
Symptoms That Can Be Treated
Acid reflux symptoms include persistent, painful heartburn; a choking sensation at the back of the throat; regurgitation of small amounts of vomit into the mouth; nausea; back pain; a persistent, dry cough; and hoarseness of the voice.
Acid reflux sufferers experience these symptoms after eating, after exercising, and often when they are trying to go to sleep. Drastic treatment is available for acid reflux, including surgery and prescription drugs. However, there are natural remedies that treat acid reflux without resorting to these invasive means.
When using natural remedies to treat acid reflux, try one remedy at a time and keep a journal that notes what remedy you tried, when, and how effective it was. Otherwise, you might try several remedies at once and not know which one or two of them were most effective in treating your GERD.
Sleep-Related Problems
Acid reflux often strikes while sufferers are attempting to sleep, so a several natural remedies for acid reflux involve helping sufferers get to sleep. One easy home remedy that prevents acid reflux at night is to stop eating and drinking within three hours of going to bed. If you go to bed at ten o'clock at night, stop eating at seven o'clock, and drink only water before you go to bed. Make a note in your journal of whether you still experience acid reflux when you stop eating three hours before bedtime.
Not everyone can control their meal schedule with such precision, so if not eating three hours before bedtime is not an option for you, try sleeping on your left side. Sleeping on the left side has proven to be an effective natural remedy to treat acid reflux.
Elevating the head end of your bed has also been proven as an effective acid reflux natural remedy. Using an extra pillow will probably not provide enough elevation. Place risers under the legs of your bed frame or under your mattress to raise your head eight to ten inches above your feet.
It has been reported that inner spring mattresses are uncomfortable when they are raised in this manner. Foam mattresses respond better to the change in elevation suggested by this natural remedy for acid reflux. If buying a new mattress seems like a drastic natural remedy, remember acid reflux is often treated by lifelong prescription medication or surgery. The cost of a new mattress pales in comparison to the cost and risks associated with those remedies.
