Acid Reflux Relief

A few lifestyle changes can help a lot towards effective acid reflux relief. Yes, there are several ways that will help you combat the pain and discomfort of acid reflux.

According to the Huffington Post, the following are some of the best acid reflux relief that you can readily do:

• Sleep On Your Side. Research shows that sleeping on your stomach can worsen acid reflux and, according to one team at Stanford, sleeping on your left side is more helpful than sleeping on your right.

• Eat Smaller Meals. Large meals that overwhelm the esophageal sphincter and fill the stomach can amplify an acid reflux problem. Try reducing the size of your meals, even if you consume the same number of calories over the course of the day.

• Chew Gum. Sugarless gum can help alleviate heartburn by increasing the production of saliva which, with its alkaline properties, helps neutralize acid. That can reduce the feeling of burn, though it doesn’t prevent the acid from entering the esophagus in the first place.

• Add Herb Supplements. Several herbs, including licorice root, slippery elm and tumeric, have been shown to help by creating a coating along the lining of the esophagus, essentially protecting it from acid.

• Wear Loose Clothes. Tight clothes and belts may actually contribute to acid reflux, so wearing something comfortable and loose is one way to ensure that pressure on your abdomen isn’t contributing to your GERD.

• Stand Up Straight. Something as simple as improving your posture and not reclining after meals can help encourage food and acid to remain in the stomach instead of spilling into the esophagus.

• Quit Smoking. For so many reasons — reasons we shouldn’t have to tell you anymore — you should quit smoking, but here’s another one: nicotine relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to enter the esophagus. Cigarettes also promote acid production in the stomach, so there’s more to pass through the sphincter in the first place.

Source: Huffington Post

Aside from the ones mentioned above, there are other methods that you can implement that can give you some acid reflux relief. Health-US News has provided some of them which include the following:

• Raise the head of your bed. Most acid reflux occurs during sleep. To prevent nighttime attacks, “you need to position your head at an angle,” so it’s higher than your abdomen, says Rodriguez. Elevate the head of your bed a minimum of 30 degrees, perhaps with a firm foam-rubber wedge, or by putting bricks under your bedposts. “The worst thing you can do is lie flat down, especially right after eating.” Give yourself at least 30 minutes to digest a meal before hitting the sack.

• Chew your food well. Forget wolfing down your meals. Digestion begins in the mouth, and if you don’t chew your food well, you’re asking for trouble. Chew each bite for 20 seconds.

• Cut carbs. In one study by researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, obese GERD patients who curtailed their carbohydrate intake to 20 grams a day or less experienced a substantial decrease in acidity and symptoms. If cutting carbs doesn’t help after about two weeks, try another tactic.

• Loosen your belt. If your belt is too tight or your jeans are too small, there will be more pressure on your stomach—and less room for food. That can trigger the release of extra acid, while stressing the lower esophageal sphincter.

• Choose post-meal activities wisely. Exercising after eating? Bending over after a meal? Both are tickets to the heartburn hotel.

Source: Health – US News

The acid reflux relief tips mentioned above are all easy and simple to do. By following them, you may be able to rid yourself of the pain that acid reflux brings and enjoy meals better.

Acid Reflux Relief is a post from: Natural Health Magazine