10 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux
Acid reflux happens when the sphincter muscle that is located at the lower end of esophagus relaxes or opens when it’s not supposed to. This allows stomach acid to come back up into the esophagus, and this can lead to heartburn and other unpleasant symptoms. It’s also important to note that if reflux occurs regularly and is left untreated, it may lead to GERD (Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease). Acid reflux occurs for a few different reasons, the most common are:
* Eating large meals
* Lying down after a meal
* Obesity or being overweight
* Snacking or eating too close to bedtime
* Certain foods: tomatoes, fatty foods, spicy foods, onions, garlic, citrus, chocolate and mint
* Smoking
* Pregnancy
* Aspirin and ibuprofen
* Blood pressure medication
The most common symptoms of acid reflux are:
* A burning sensation in the throat and chest
* Chest pain
* Difficulty swallowing
* Feeling of having a lump in your throat
* Regurgitation of food or a sour liquid
* Chronic cough
* Disrupted sleep
* Asthma that is new or worsening
* Laryngitis
Acid reflux is generally a result of certain lifestyle decisions, and most of the time it is nothing serious. It’s important to note that if you’re experiencing very strong or severe symptoms, or need to take OTC medications more than two times per week to help deal with your symptoms, it’s a good idea to see a doctor immediately.
If your symptoms aren’t interfering with your day-to-day life, that means you can most likely avoid pharmaceuticals and take-on your acid reflux in a natural, healthy and more permanent way. Here are 10 home remedies for acid reflux:
10 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux
#1 – Lose Weight Being overweight is actually the most common cause of acid reflux and it’s symptoms, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy claims that obesity is the leading cause of experiencing frequent heartburn. Excess weight increases the pressure on your abdominal area which makes stomach acid leak, or back up into your esophagus.
Losing weight isn’t easy for most people, but it can be done and it doesn’t have to be unpleasant. Finding a healthy diet and an exercise routine you enjoy doing is essential, as this will help you to do this regularly without finding excuses to quit.
#2 – Baking Soda One teaspoon of baking soda may be enough to neutralize stomach acid, so even if it does come up you won’t feel that burning sensation. You have to mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water and drink the whole glass. You can repeat this up to seven times per day. It’s also recommended not to use this remedy for more than a week, due to baking soda’s high salt content and potential negative side effects.
#3 – Chew Gum Chewing sugar-free gum for 30 minutes after a meal, has been shown to provide relief from acid reflux. Chewing gum stimulates the salivary glands and that increases the amount of saliva you produce helping keep acid reflux at bay.
#4 – Avoid Laying Down after Eating If you lie down after eating a meal it’s much easier for the content of your stomach to be pushed back up into your esophagus, as a full stomach puts pressure on your esophageal sphincter muscle6. Staying upright by standing or sitting will allow gravity to work for you, keeping your food down in your stomach where it belongs.
It’s also good to remember, not to eat or snack 3-4 hours before going to sleep, for the same reason. Plan your meals to finish those few hours before you go to bed, that way your body will have the opportunity to fully digest the food you’ve eaten, minimizing the chances of acid reflux.
#5 – Eat Bananas Bananas have natural antacid properties and can help counteract symptoms of reflux, as they are an alkaline food. Bananas can also help coat the esophageal lining which can protect the esophagus in the event that any stomach acid does make its way up. Bananas are also high in fiber and can help strengthen your digestive system, and a strong digestive system will help keep acid reflux away.
10 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux
#6 – Eat Fewer Carbs Following a low-carb diet can help relieve acid reflux, as it’s thought that carbs may help cause an overgrowth of bacteria and an increased pressure in the stomach. There are some scientists that believe eating too many carbs may be the leading cause of acid reflux. Many people aren’t able to efficiently digest carbs, and studies indicate this is the reason for the bacterial overgrowth problem.
Eating a diet that is too high in carbohydrates can also make you gassy, bloated, and makes you burp more often. Eating too many carbs is also one of the leading reasons for weight gain, as carbohydrates are usually very calorie-dense.
#7 – Alcohol If you want to help eliminate acid reflux, then it’s a good idea to kick alcohol altogether. Alcohol is nothing more than a toxin which serves absolutely no positive purpose for the human body, so aside from our cultural habits there really isn’t any reason why we should be drinking. But, if you can’t help yourself, it is a great idea to limit your intake of alcohol as much as possible.
Alcohol helps make symptoms of acid reflux worse by increasing stomach acid, relaxing your sphincter muscle, and taking away the ability of your esophagus to clear itself of acid.
#8 – Cut Back on Caffeine Intake Coffee temporarily weakens the esophageal sphincter muscle, that increases the risk of acid reflux. This can be made even worse if you drink coffee right after a meal. Coffee is also quite acidic and can increase the amount of acid in your stomach. If you’re going to drink coffee, it might be a good idea to switch to decaf. Decaffeinated coffee has been shown to help reduce acid reflux, as opposed to its caffeinated cousin.
#9 – Avoid Carbonated Drinks Carbonated drinks aren’t good for us, they’re usually full of sugar, glucose, fructose, and other unhealthy, non-essential chemicals that we have no reason to be entering into our bodies. Studies show that carbonated drinks are linked with symptoms of acid reflux, as they can weaken the esophageal sphincter muscle and often increase acidity in the stomach.
#10 – Watch Out for Citrus Juice If you suffer from acid reflux, orange or grapefruit juice has a 72% chance in making your symptoms of acid reflux worse. There are two man reasons for this:
* Citrus juices increase the acidity level in your stomach
* Citrus juices generally have a neutral pH, and that appears to have an aggravating impact on acid reflux
So if you’re not suffering from severe symptoms, it’s a good idea to try and tackle your acid reflux in a natural and healthy way. Avoiding pharmaceuticals, if possible, is a great idea as they only treat the symptoms and not the underlying causes.
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Acid Reflux References and Acid Reflux Information
Web MD: https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/what-is-acid-reflux-disease#1
Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940
Healthline Magazine: https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/weight-loss#weight-and-symptoms
Fisher Titus: https://www.fishertitus.org/health/natural-gerd-remedies
National Library of Medicine (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16246942/
Fisher Titus: https://www.fishertitus.org/health/natural-gerd-remedies
Healthline Magazine: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/heartburn-acid-reflux-remedies#section4
Pub Med (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11151864/
Pub Med (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7002705/
National Library of Medicine (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7918922/
Pub Med (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15888843/
Pub Med (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7806034/
Pub Med (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27414/
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