Natural Ways to Deal With Acid Reflux or GERD
November 72008
Acid reflux or GERD comprises more than irregular heartburn or indigestion. As a matter of fact, a few people with acid reflux never even undergo heartburn. A few symptoms of acid reflux include:
Acid Reflux Natural
• Hoarseness.
• Bitter stomach fluid arriving into the mouth, specially when sleeping.
• Repeatedly experiencing a need to clear your throat.
• Trouble swallowing food or liquid.
• Wheezing or coughing at night.
• Deterioration of symptoms after consuming, or when bending over or lying down.
Apparently, you should avoid spicy foods and any food that annoys you. Below are a a couple of more things that will aid enormously.
• Do not lie down until at the very least least 3 hours after eating.
• Sleep with your head at the least 8″ higher than your stomach to allow gravity to assist your stomach acids from coming up into your esophagus. Employing a Comfort Wedge makes this very easy.
• Don’t bend over or do exercises until long after eating
.
• Eat 6 small meals instead of 3 large meals.
• Don’t drink carbonated beverages.
• Cut out fatty foods (they increase the time food remains in the stomach).
• Quit smoking (nicotine relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (LES)).
• Cut out chocolate (it relaxes the LES).
• Don’t drink alcoholic beverages (alcohol relaxes the LES).
• Eliminate caffeine (it relaxes the LES).
• Eat properly so you don’t develop constipation – that pushing will also push food or stomach acids upward.
• Lying on your left side can help relieve heartburn by keeping the stomach below the esophagus and acid-free.
• Avoid stress and anger.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, and sip this during your meal.
• Yogurt contains beneficial digestive bacteria, as do Acidophilus Tablets, Children’s Chewable Acidophilus Tablets, Acidophilus Strawberry Liquid, and Children’s Acidophilus Powder.
• Eat dried figs, fresh pineapple*, and dried or fresh papaya. These foods are loaded with digestive enzymes. Or you could take Digestive Enzymes in capsule form. *Pineapple will help most
people, and it bothers some – if it bothers you, eliminate it from your diet.
Please Note: Peppermint candy, tea, or essential oil will comfort an upset stomach, make relaxed the body will aid in digestion, and relax muscles to allow the body to get rid of gas. But, peppermint should not be taken if you have acid reflux or GERD because it relaxes and weakens the LES. When the LES is relaxed, food and liquid are allowed to come back up.
