Acid reflux and GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) are common ailments that cause the esophageal sphincter, which is responsible for stopping excess acid from coming up from your stomach, fails. It can be healed to work normally again with treatment, but until that happens, symptoms such as heartburn, pain in the chest, overactive salivary glands, acid regurgitation, sore throat, excessive burping and a burning sensation in the stomach may occur. Often, patients are advised to go on a course of prescription medication, with little or no further information given, especially in relation to natural alternatives to heal GERD.

Although doctors may be quick to prescribe a long-term solution to these symptoms, there are indeed many tried and true natural combatants against GERD. Giving your esophagus a break from acid will allow it to heal, and ensure its ability to perform its job within the digestive process. With a functioning esophageal sphincter you will no longer suffer from the very uncomfortable and disconcerting symptoms of GERD or acid reflux.

The list of natural alternatives to heal GERD includes several cheap, easy-to-follow changes in your diet and lifestyle; natural aids for helping the healing. Red apples are at the top of the recent list of possible aids. Numerous research studies have been published that indicate that one red apple a day can greatly reduce your stomach acid. Other natural healing avenues include drinking a glass of water after every meal to help keep the seal on your esophagus more firmly closed. This assists your esophageal sphincter in doing its job to keep acid in your stomach, and not in your throat. The gel from an Aloe Vera plant, either diluted or alone, has been shown to act as an effective soothing device to combat stomach acid. Also, honey has been related with esophageal sphincter repair and has been shown to be a natural alternative to heal GERD.

Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and nicotine while trying to heal GERD. Natural alternatives often work better when you abstain from these substances as well. Salt can aggravate the condition, as can many fatty foods. Also, try to limit your food intake to smaller portions at a time, eating several small meals over the course of the day instead two or three big meals. Your stomach does not have to work as hard at producing the acid needed to break down a big meal; therefore, your stomach acid pumps get a break if you throw smaller meals at it over a the course of a day. Consider ingesting stomach enzymes with each meal to help your stomach digest food without additional treatments.

Calcium carbonate is a natural, short-term remedy for heartburn, as is licorice, which can help soothe the mucous membranes in your stomach that protect it from acid. Try a cup of peppermint or chamomile tea after meals instead of coffee, as they are caffeine-free and can help soothe your stomach. Chewing gum can also be effective for soothing heartburn symptoms by stimulating saliva production, which can dilute your stomach acid. Try sleeping with your head slightly elevated at night to reduce the ability of stomach acid to creep up your esophagus and throat. These natural alternatives to heal GERD will reduce your cost of prescription medicines, and restore your body?s ability to digest foods without over-producing acid.

Acid reflux is a medical condition in which the patient?s lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close after taking in food. All of the food we eat passes into our stomach through the LES, and if it does not close, the acid produced inside of our stomach can reach to our esophagus causing acid reflux disease. This can lead to heartburn, chest pain, and a multitude of other conditions, so it is extremely important to ask yourself: what are good foods to eat with acid reflux?

Preparing a diet regimen for treating acid reflux can be intimidating, and the problem may increase if you have any kind of food allergy. Normally acid reflux flares up post meal, hence it is important to have food that discourages reflux. Those suffering from this disease should have food in small amounts, spreading their meals throughout the day instead of having two or three large meals per day. If you take small amounts of food throughout the day, you will experience less stomach distension and lower acid levels. These techniques will ease pain and peripheral conditions that manifest through acid reflux.

An acid reflux reducing diet consists of all the essential food groups- fruits, vegetables, grains, meats and dairy products. However, some of the specific items under these groups are not prescribed. People suffering from acid reflux disease, are asked to avoid drinks containing caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and peppermint. One should also avoid foods with a high fat or grease content because they are harder to digest and cause your body to produce even more acid.

When you ask your doctor: ?what are good foods to eat with acid reflux?? he or she will normally recommend grains that have a low fat content like rice, multigrain, corn, oats, graham crackers, unseasoned pretzels and bran. White bread, rice cakes, and low fat dairy products are also good for patients suffering from acid reflux. Cabbage, celery, fennel, peas, green beans, broccoli, carrots and cabbage can be included in the diet, and fruits like bananas, apples, peaches, berries, melons are also great choices. Citrus fruits must be avoided since they aggravate the problem.

Feta cheese, cheese prepared from soy and vegetables can be eaten, while ice cream, whole milk and chocolates must be avoided. If you must eat meat, keep it low fat, like skinless boneless white meat chicken, low fat fish, egg whites, London Broil steaks and lean ground beef. Many people use a wide variety of seasonings, toppings, and condiments while preparing food. However, you must remember that these should also contain a low percentage of fat.

Avoiding chocolate based desserts is mandatory. Jelly beans, pudding, baked chips, cookies, fat free snacks, sweets, sorbet and yogurt containing low fat are allowed. When wonder what are good foods to eat with acid reflux, you should include high fibrous foods since it clears the stomach nicely and is filling at the same time. Food items like strawberries, scallions, ham, scrambled egg, Mozzarella and Cottage cheese, muffins and root beer can be eaten in moderation.

At first thought you might not suspect that your sinus issues would be linked to your acid reflux, or heartburn problems.

It may surprise you, but if you visit a sinus specialist or Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doc, you can be assured they?re going to be looking for any signs of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or acid reflux disease.

Well what?s one got to do with the other you might ask?

For instance, one of the worst habits some people with recurring heartburn have is lying down right after they eat. This is a sure-fire way of encouraging those nasty gastric acids to leak up into your throat, mouth and even your sinuses.

It?s true, if you feel like always clearing your throat, it could only be sinus drainage, or post nasal drip from a food allergy or hay fever.

On the other hand it could very well be a reaction to common acid reflux. As you can imagine, when your stomach indigestion repeatedly kicks up gaseous plumes of acid reflux it can easily inflame your nose and sinus linings.

When all the cards are down, it?s the ninth inning, bases are loaded and the fat lady starts to sing . . . you are your own best doctor.

That?s why so many people are learning how to be their own health detectives. Seriously, these days it?s almost a lost secret, but learning to detect the ?root cause? of your sinus or acid reflux and heartburn issues is the only way to take back control of your life.

There?s hardly anything more irritating than having to wipe your nose, sniffle, snort and clear your throat constantly.

Having constant post nasal drip, irritated vocal cords and that unhealthy odor to your breath aren?t the most socially attractive qualities either.

Sinusitis, rhinitis and acid reflux have several things in common and even though you may not suffer from full-blown gastroesophageal reflux disease, your occasional acid indigestion could be the cause of your running nose, puffy eyes and sore throat . . . you just haven?t made the connection yet.

Did you know the digestive acid in your stomach is mostly hydrochloric acid which vaporizes at room temperatures?

Your gastric acid (hydrochloric acid) made up of hydrogen chloride (HCL) gas in water, which is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid.

When this noxious digestive acid transforms into gas due to your digestive imbalance, the first place it goes is up your throat into your sinus cavities.

Now remixing with moist air, the stinging gas gets trapped in the complex cavernous labyrinth inside your head. Trapped in a dark moist place it can mix back in with water, inflaming your sensitive nerve endings, triggering all the symptoms of a sinus infection.

The Antacid Deception

To further complicate things millions of people unwittingly add antacids to the mix, which, by the way were proven ineffective for acid reflux and heart burn back in 1986. In fact, antacids can cause your stomach to actually produce more acid reflux.

Antacids create another condition called ?acid rebound,? which makes your gastrointestinal problems even worse.

But wait, there?s more! Antacids are one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated on the American public because they also change the pH balance in your gut causing good micro-organisms (probiotics) to die, triggering the over-growth of harmful bacteria.

By now you, like me, can see there is a hidden connection between sinus problems and acid reflux, directly and indirectly.

Once the imbalance of healthy gut flora (probiotics) is overcome by the harmful bacteria and other toxic micro-organisms, you have an infection. There is evidence that antacids may be responsible for Helicobacterplyori infections, the bad bacteria that cause ulcers.

All this weakens your natural immune system function and makes the connection between acid reflux and sinus infections even more obvious.

So perhaps all those holistic doctors and naturopathic health practitioners have been right all along, everything is inter-related. Ancient healers and medicinal protocols of old all agree, you must treat the whole person and that includes even making changes in your environment as well as your diet.

So it helps to be a detective when it comes to your health, or what I affectionately refer to as a ?health ecologist.? That is, one who studies the health connections between all living things and their environments.

Live well,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist

An unfortunate condition often signified by the stresses of modern day is acid reflux and the disease GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). This is caused by a failure of the esophagus’ sphincter, which is responsible for keeping acid down in the stomach and not up in the throat. Symptoms include frequent painful heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, regurgitation of acid, chest pain and tightness, bad breath, and frequent swallowing.

Another GERD-related disease has arisen in recent medical news and it goes by the name of acid reflux and exertion. It has been called EAGER (exertion associated estro-esophageal reflux), by Dr. Steven Peikin, a Professor of Medicine at Robert Woods Johnson Hospital. EAGER is excessive acid related to physical activities, most often the types associated with exertion, such as running or jogging, or any activity that will have you bouncing up and down.

In a recent study (sponsored by Pepcid), it was noted that 75% of baby boomers, men and women alike, experience heartburn at least occasionally, with 31% reporting instances of heartburn at least weekly. The same study indicates that occasional sufferers of heartburn will experience it 15% of the time when they exercise, with weekly sufferers likely to experience heartburn 45% of the time when they are exercising. An estimated 16 million Americans have their exercise interrupted by heartburn that may be caused by acid reflux and exertion, with non-sufferers getting to exercise 106 times a year, and sufferers only 85 times per year, on average.

It is an unfortunate, ironic symptom, the fact that many people who seek exercise as a means to improve their health are often prevented from effective exercise because of a health problem. It is often the jostling of the body that causes the stomach contents, including corrosive stomach acid, to move vigorously within the confines of the stomach. It may jostle stomach acid even more energetically up against the esophageal sphincter, causing it even further stress, especially in a GERD sufferer. A ?normal? person will probably not be affected by this jostling, but it can wreak havoc in the stomachs of GERD or acid reflux sufferers, adding acid reflux to their list of ailments.

The usual remedies may help with GERD symptoms, and therefore may help with EAGER symptoms (acid reflux and exertion): Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol; try chamomile or peppermint tea after meals; limit meals to smaller portions several times a day instead of a couple of big meals; avoid fatty and salty foods; try Aloe Vera gel or Milk of Magnesia as stomach balms. Specifically for EAGER sufferers, try less strenuous exercises (that would have you bouncing up and down less) such as swimming or bike-riding.

These homeopathic remedies may be tried first, in lieu of a prescription, if your doctor okays it. Be aware that OTC acid reflux, GERD and heartburn medications are only recommended for a limited amount of time (usually two weeks). After that time, it is recommended that you take a break before starting the regimen again. Even Rolaids or Tums are not recommended for extended use. If you do try an OTC remedy or have a prescription, make sure it has an acid reducer in addition to a stomach soothing agent.