Natural Remedy for Acid Reflux
Acute acidity can make you belch and squirm in discomfort even at the mere sight of your favorite foods. This is because consuming heavy and deep fried foods make the stomach acid churn up into the food pipe, burning its lining. This condition can cause untold misery.
Acid reflux defined
Acid reflux is known by many names, like heartburn, indigestion, bloating, borborygmus and dyspepsia. It’s experienced as a vague chest or abdominal discomfort, usually suffered after consuming food or liquids.
Symptoms of acid reflux
The symptoms of acid reflux are hard to ignore! They may manifest themselves in many ways. Your stomach may growl or you may excessively belch. You may experience a burning sensation, pain or pressure behind the breastbone. This pain may even be felt between the shoulders or in the neck, while swallowing. In some, this burning sensation may be replaced by pain or pressure. Other symptoms are excessive gas, upper abdominal fullness or heaviness and acid taste in the mouth.
Causes of acid reflux
Although, the causes of acid reflux are related to excessive smoking, eating, drinking, swallowing air and emotional upset, the exact cause remains unknown. However, you can prevent this condition to a great extent by modifying your eating and other habits.
Preventing acid reflux
Heartburn can at least be minimized, if not completely prevented. Let’s see how:
a. Stop smoking, especially before or while eating. Smoking makes you swallow small amounts of air, which form air pockets in the digestive tract, slowing food digestion.
b. Avoid deep fried and fatty foods. Also restrict gas forming foods, like beans, cabbage, cucumbers and onions. Identify foods that aggravate your condition and avoid them.
c. Stop having your meals reclining on the sofa or propping up in bed. This is known to cause acid reflux. Eat sitting on the dinner table in an upright position and chew the food thoroughly and slowly. And don't consume alcohol with food.
d. Go for a small walk after eating to stimulate the digestive system after a meal. However, never exercise following a large meal.
e. A tight belt or jeans not only restricts circulation, but can cause heartburn too. So, avoid wearing tight or restrictive clothing.
Home remedy for acid reflux
Where heartburn is concerned, antacids have practically ruled the world. However, it’s becoming clearer now that these common medicines can leave you with certain side effects. Thus, people the world over are turning to natural remedy for acid reflux disease. These acid reflux remedies include:
a. Regulating diet: Watch what you eat. See what foods triggers acid reflux. Make a list and eliminate them one by one. Common heartburn triggers may include chocolate, fried and fatty foods and spices.
b. Consume more fiber: High fiber nutrient foods help in alleviating the suffering associated with acid reflux. The fibers help to absorb excess acid and gas, and allow your body to rid itself of toxins more quickly.
c. Ginger: Ginger taken with meals helps reduce suffering and stomach upset in some. So, take a fresh ginger, ground it and add it to the food. You can also take it in tea or capsule form.
d. Water: Water dilutes the acid in the stomach and helps reduce acidity considerably. So, drink at least eight glasses of water each day to rid the body of toxins and allow your body to expel acid naturally.
e. Green tea: Green tea helps in the digestion process, and also soothes the sensitive tissue of the stomach. Even herbal tea containing a dash of peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip help the stomach lining repair itself.
So, before you opt for over-the-counter medications like cimetidine and rantidine at the first indication of acidity, consider herbal remedy for acid reflux and even natural acid reflux remedy therapy. However, always take the advice of your physician before you decide to take something.
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