Expats Health FREE Acid Reflux Remedies Book Stop Acid Reflux Expat Health Series Here's Your FREE Book ❤️ How to Stop Acid Reflux
1. Watch Your Diet, Weight and Eat in Moderation
The first step is to look at your diet, the types of foods you are eating, what ones to avoid, and to modify your meal portions. Most people who eat like it’s their last meal usually suffer from digestive-related issues, such as acid reflux.
When you eat more than what your stomach can hold comfortably, you put more pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve that closes the stomach preventing the acid rising into the esophagus. If it remains open, then it is easy for the stomach acids to rise, so stop eating large meals and eat in moderation to avoid the nasty symptoms.
If you stay faithful to eating the right foods, and in moderation, then losing excess weight will naturally follow. Too much belly fat will put pressure on your abdomen. If you can maintain a healthy weight, you will minimize the symptoms of acid reflux.
Another tip is to chew your food completely. Allow about 20 minutes for each of your meals, instead of bolting down your serving. When you chew your food properly, you're creating an ideal environment for the stomach to effectively digest the material without overworking and producing more acid than necessary.
After you finish eating, refrain from lying down for at least 45 minutes. If this is the last meal of the day, make sure you give yourself about 2 to 3 hours before retiring for the evening. Give your body time to completely digest your food.
This way when you finally call it a night, your stomach is empty or at least partially empty, and there is no additional pressure caused by lying down. Gravity helps reduce acid reflux. If you lie down after eating, even if only for a 20-minute power nap, you are essentially opening the door for acid to reflux.
2. Raise Your Head While You Sleep Helps Relieve Acid Reflux
The best way to stop acid reflux symptoms at night is to sleep with your head raised. You can raise the head part of your bed or mattress, in order to get a little help from gravity. This helps keep the reflux from entering the throat.
The easiest way to raise the top of your bed is to place books or blocks under the front legs of the bed. If that doesn’t suit you, there are foam pillows shaped like a wedge that may feel better. These wedge pillows are designed ergonomically to provide a comfortable sleep. Many acid reflux sufferers use these pillows with great success.
3. Herbal Remedies for Acid Reflux
Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat symptoms of acid reflux because it can neutralize the acids in the stomach. You can eat it raw, drink ginger tea, or mix it in with your meals. Any one of these options will provide you with long-lasting relief.
Peppermint is another natural herbal remedy. If you look, most of the medications for acid reflux contain significant amounts of peppermint oil that plays a vital role in providing relief. Peppermint can be chewed in the form of chewing gum, or you can chew the peppermint leaves. You can also drink peppermint tea.
Cumin is another herb to add to the list. You can add cumin to a glass of water and drink after your meals. This helps reduce the production of stomach gas. Cumin will also boost the rate of digestion.
4. Acupuncture for Acid Reflux
One natural therapy you might like to try is acupuncture. There are studies which have shown acupuncture has provided relief from acid reflux and GERD, where commercial drugs have proved ineffective.
Researchers from one university (Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine) found that the esophageal motility was improved with regular acupuncture sessions. This was evident in a test conducted, which showed an improvement in the lower esophageal sphincter function.
5. Choose Your Acid Reflux Treatment Options
As you can see, treatment options for acid reflux are many. You don’t have to always use prescription or over-the-counter medications for acid-blocking
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