Acid Reflux: Natural Treatments
It starts in your stomach, an insidious sizzling; a burning that doesn’t bode well for your day. Creeping up into your chest leaving a dull fiery trail in its wake and settles at the back of your throat. Acid reflux, or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a common affliction for people today, filling the aisles of drug stores with stomach remedies as antacids in chewable, liquid, or prescription form.
Our diets have pushed our stomach linings to their limits, and the inability to keep the acid formation at bay has troubled sufferers and the ability to enjoy the event of eating for decades.
While this is none too troubling for the pharmaceutical companies who line their pockets by such ailments, it presents a potential for a condition that is also climbing the chart of common complaints of patients worldwide.
Acid Reflux: Trouble Swallowing
When the acid in the stomach is agitating with the churning of food, it literally burns the tender cells that function to regulate the ph of the stomach. Inflammation of the tissues restricts their ability to contract and limits their function. At the level of where the stomach and esophagus meet, there is a flap that keeps food and other unwanteds where they belong called the pyloric sphincter. This flap loses its function and the acids in your stomach have free range of your delicate esophageal lining. This is the creeping feeling of cauterization that you feel after meals. The acid then wreaks havoc along the length of the esophagus every time you dine. This repeated assault of the esophagus and inflammation of tissue results in eventual narrowing of the passage where food would normally slide easily when swallowed. This then means that websites such as https://www.zantacotc.com/ are required to get the relief needed from heartburn.
Especially at the base of the tongue where the narrowing begins, food can feel stuck creating a sense of choking. Esophageal constriction is a panic inducing event that prevents the enjoyment of eating for fear of choking. Many people who experience this event also describe their inability to swallow pills at all, forsaking their vitamin intake for the fear it has instilled. Some research has suggested the unforgiving form of a pill makes it difficult to finagle through the narrowed opening; other studies claim that the coating of a pill triggers a spasm as a result of chemical interaction with the destroyed tissue. This inability to maintain nutrient levels may contribute to the condition, inhibiting the body’s ability to heal without the necessary tools it needs.
Acid Reflux: Natural Treatments
There are a number of foods you can eat (and avoid) to help with acid reflux. The foods to target are high alkaline foods such as:
- Bananas
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Licorice
- Ginger
- Melon
Their higher pH levels work to offset the acid levels in your stomach–some say. Others say very acidic foods like lemons and apple cider vinegar will make your stomach more acidic so it can burn up what’s sitting in your gut.
Some herbs recommended are:
- Angelica
- Caraway
- Clown’s mustard plant
- German chamomile
- Greater celandine
- Lemon balm
- Milk thistle
How to Prevent Acid Reflux
There are some foods and habits that trigger heartburn. Avoid these:
- Citrus fruits
- High-fat foods
- Caffeine
- Soda
- Chocolate
- Large meals
- Smoking
- Alcohol
Finally, there are over the counter medications you can take, but beware, recent news has shown the side effects include loss of hearing and cancer. Talk to your doctor first before starting any treatment.
Ready to take back control of your stomach? Come cybershop the windows of this store and get the information you need to get back on track.