3 tips to help deal with acid reflux
Acid reflux is a condition wherein the stomach acids flow back up the esophagus, thereby causing great discomfort. The stomach acids end up rising to that as a hot and burning feeling along with pressure build up in the chest region. For those who experience it once in a while, it could either be caused due to some foods; however, for those who have been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (commonly known as GERD), acid refluxes become a nightmare and start impacting their lifestyle in the long run. While medication is prescribed to take care of these episodes, there are indeed some forms of natural treatments for acid reflux that you can try at home and calm down the sensation. Here are some of the most common remedy solutions that a lot of people have found useful to control and reduce the occurrence of acid reflux.
1. Chewing gum
When you eat a chewing gum that is sugar-free about 30 minutes after you have your meal, you can stimulate your salivary glands and activate the effective production of saliva. This is a great way of washing away the acid formation.
2. Baking soda
This ingredient has indeed been considered by many as a great natural treatment for acid reflux because of the very reason that a single teaspoon of this base ingredient can immediately neutralize the stomach acids. All you have to do to rid your burning sensation when experiencing acid reflux is just mix one teaspoon of baking soda with about 8 ounces of water and drink it. However, you would need to restrict the repeated usage of this to a week and consult a doctor if the acid reflux does not seem to subside. This is because overusing this mix beyond a week can cause side effects such as nausea or swelling due to the high salt content.
3. Never ever lie down right after a meal
This is because when you lie down flat, you are allowing the stomach contents to end up rising along your food tract back to the throat due to the pressure that occurs at the esophageal sphincter. Make sure you allow at least 3 to 4 hours for the food to digest after a meal before you lie down. If you frequently experience acid reflux when lying down, then you can try wedging a pillow behind your head for a slightly elevated position.
While these are three common solutions, there are a few other natural treatments for acid reflux. These include eating fruits, especially bananas, as they have antacid properties that are required to ease the occurrence of acid reflux. You can also try ginger tea, chamomile tea, and mustard as alternatives for easing the symptoms of acid reflux.