Cure Your Acid Reflux Now Or At Least Reduce It

By: Steve Jackson ... Click on author's name for more of their articles

Heartburn or acid reflux as it is also known, is the feeling of burning in the food pipe or esophagus to give it its proper name. This discomfort and pain is caused by stomach fluids leaving the stomach and traveling along the esophagus towards the throat, and sometimes even into the mouth - a very unpleasant sensation.

Obviously, if you are a frequent sufferer of acid reflux or heartburn, then you need to seek medical attention to see what is recommended by your doctor. Antacids will generally be recommended, probably in the form of prescription drugs, since people have often tried over the counter solutions before the trip to their doctor.

But are there natural acid reflux cures to help you? There are definitely some things that you can consider to help reduce, and even stop acid reflux before it does any more damage to your esophagus. The first thing to realize is that some foods cause there to be more acid in the stomach to process it. This leads to acid reflux, so by reducing the amount of these foods that you eat, you should be able to get your acids under control.

However, stopping greasy, fatty foods, as well as tomato based foods like pizza, may not be an option for you - as you are the one living with the consequences, this is your decision. Caffeinated foods and drinks are best avoided, as is chocolate, peppermint and spearmint and also alcohol. That's right, having mints after your meal may not help your acid reflux at all, but they do freshen the mouth. If you are a smoker, then stop this habit. It is contributing to your acid reflux, as well as raising your risk of cancer!

Fruit and vegetables are good foods to eat, but if you are having a problem with acid reflux you may want to cut down on the number of acid fruits and vegetables that you eat, like oranges, or orange juice, grapefruit, and tomatoes.

Try to eat lower fat foods, and cut down especially on animal fats (saturated fats), by using skim or 1% milk, low fat cheese, and eating lean meats. In fact by reducing these animal fats, you will also be helping your cholesterol levels, but that's a whole other story!

But there are a few things you can do to lessen the effects. Reduce the amount of food you put into your stomach at any one time. This will lessen the work your stomach has to do, while relieving the pressure in the stomach which causes the stomach fluids to travel up the esophagus. By eating less at mealtimes, you will probably need to eat more often to make sure you get the necessary calories each day. However, if you are overweight, then losing some of those extra pounds is good.

Do not lay down after a meal, as this gives your stomach an easier time to release its fluids into the esophagus. Try to keep upright for at least 30 minutes after eating. You might want to sit upright, or go for a walk, remembering that exercising is good for your overall health.

Try not to eat anything within 2 hours of going to bed. If you find that acid reflux is keeping you awake, or reducing the quality of your sleep, think about investing in an acid reflux wedge pillow. These specially made pillows raise your body so that your stomach will always be lower than your esophagus, making reflux less likely. Try sleeping on your left side rather than right, as this helps keep the stomach lower too, and reduces the pressure on the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus.

As you can see, there are ways to reduce the amount of stomach acid you get, and by paying more attention to what you eat, and seeing whether it causes you acid reflux, you can control the amount of acid reflux you get. Because of acid reflux and the discomfort it causes, sleep is often impaired, so reduce the reflux, and the quality of your sleep should improve. Put another way, you can naturally reduce and stop acid reflux, depending on your approach, and how committed to it you are.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: With extensive knowledge on many topics, Steve Jackson has added acid reflux and its symptoms to his research. This led to him discovering that the use of a wedge pillow can reduce acid reflux at night time, but there are some things you need to think about before choosing an acid reflux wedge pillow. Look for more information here on => stopping acid reflux with more details given about these special pillows, as well as acid reflux.

Note: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Steve Jackson

Did You Like This Article? Share It With Your Friends!