April 22, 2011
Preventing Acid Reflux
Acid reflux disease is a condition that plagues thousands of people every day. The awful thing about the condition is that it can take all the fun out of eating. Who wants to eat if the after affects are heartburn, belching, hiccups, regurgitation, coughing and sometimes nausea? It just doesn’t seem like the price you pay for good eating measures up to the benefit of eating at all. It’s true that the affects of acid reflux can vary from person to person ranging from mild discomfort in some to completely debilitating pain in others. All those suffering from acid reflux, no matter the extremity, can agree that if they could get rid of the condition altogether, it wouldn’t be too soon.
Acid reflux is a condition that if not properly tended to can lead to more serious conditions that can ultimately be life threatening. What happens with acid reflux is the acids found in the stomach that are used to break down foods for digestive purposes aren’t properly concealed in the stomach causing the acids to travel upward from the stomach into the esophagus resulting in acid reflux. The lower esophageal sphincter, LES, is a circular muscle valve that is located at the entrance of the stomach in the lower part of the esophagus. This valve’s job is to allow food and drinks to pass through from the esophagus to the stomach. Immediately after food and drinks pass through this valve, the valve is to close sealing off the stomach and the esophagus. This way, the acids that are rapidly at work digesting the food that has reached the stomach remain in the stomach so that there is no irritation caused to the esophagus.
A great way to control the hyperactivity of your stomach acids so that they are less likely to reach the esophagus resulting in acid reflux would be to prevent acid reflux triggers. There are several ways to prevent acid reflux. Below you will find a few:
- Eat smaller meals more times a day. The smaller your meals the more likely your stomach acids will be able to take on breaking down and digesting these meals without producing too much acid that may result in acid hyperactivity.
- Avoid foods that contain chocolate, citrus, caffeine, mint, garlic, onions and other foods that are high in fat. These foods have been known to weaken the LES muscle.
- Avoid sodas and alcoholic beverages, opt instead for water. Water is great at stabilizing stomach acids and aids in the digestive process.
- Try not to eat too close to bedtime. Give yourself at least two hours between the last meal of the day and the time you retire. This allows your body adequate time to fully and properly digest your foods.
- Relieve your stress. Stress is linked to many ailments and acid reflux is no exception. Stress can directly affect the digestive system so do your part to relieve stress through exercise, mediation, and rest.
Preventing acid reflux can be better for your body than taming it after it starts. If you are seeking more preventative methods feel free to visit refluxremedy.com
Filed under Acid Reflux by admin
February 10, 2011
Natural Remedies for Heartburn and Acid Reflux
Natural remedies for heartburn and acid reflux aren’t hard to come by. They’re nearly as numerous as the thousands of people that suffer from heartburn and acid reflux on a daily basis.
Heartburn occurs when there’s an excess of acid produced in the stomach for one reason or another. When this happens, the acid escapes and irritates the esophagus. This causes pain, belching, hiccups, and acid reflux (or acid making it all the way up into your mouth).
Since the two conditions, heartburn and acid reflux, go hand in hand, it’s relatively easy to squelch both problems with one method. However, finding the right method for you can be a bit harder. There are a variety of holistic methods and lifestyle changes you can try to be heartburn free in no time.
Holistic Methods
For some more natural remedies, try a few of these options before, after or during an attack of acid reflux or heartburn.
- Ginger can help to cool a particularly heated bout of heartburn in a flash. Try some candied ginger or ginger tea to put out the fire.
- Drinking a glass of water can help wash acid reflux out of your system. It will also help to dilute any acids left behind, providing you with fast pain relief.
- Additionally, adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to that glass of water can help neutralize acids in your stomach or esophagus quickly.
- Some people have had good luck with apples, and just eating a single apple after each meal to help keep heartburn away.
- Others find relief by eating a handful of almonds between meals. The oils may have some components that help neutralize acids and keep heartburn from flaring up.
Change Your Routines
By making a few simple routine changes in your life you can easily stop heartburn in its tracks.
- Try to avoid foods that consistently set your heartburn or reflux off. Some common foods that start a heartburn fire are garlic, caffeine, alcohol, citrus or any particularly acidic fruits, and onions. However, your body may react differently to other foods. Things like whole milk could give you heartburn, or chili peppers. So, keep track of what you eat, so that during your next episode of acid reflux you and point directly to the culprit.
- Avoid eating right before you go to bed or lie down. Although you may enjoy having a bowl of popcorn and lying on the couch for a movie, eating that close to lying down doesn’t give your body a chance to properly process the food, and allows acids to freely move about your digestive tract, which irritates your esophagus. Wait at least 2 hours after you eat to go to bed or lie down.
- Eat smaller portions of your food over a longer period of time. This will help reduce stress on your stomach and allow it to calmly process the food therein. Too much food all at once sends the stomach into overdrive, and causes an influx of acid in the stomach, creating pressure and irritation.
The Reflux Remedy Report is full of natural remedies for heartburn and acid reflux. Find it at www.refluxremedy.com, and get on your way to being heartburn free today!
Filed under Acid Reflux by admin
February 7, 2011
Gastric Reflux Natural Remedies
Gastric reflux happens when acid is allowed up into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn pain, belching, hiccups and sometimes acid in the mouth, which leaves a bitter our sour taste behind.
Causes
If you understand what causes gastric reflux, you can be better prepared to deal with the problem naturally.
One cause is certain types of food. Things that are hard to digest like whole milk and ground beef, acidic foods like lemons and oranges, and some vegetables like onions are very common causes of reflux and heartburn. You may react differently to these common foods, and might even have some not so common triggers of your own. It can be helpful to keep track of what you eat, so that the next time you have a flare up of gastric reflux you can identify its cause, and then avoid that food, eliminating your reflux at its root.
Another cause of gastric reflux is certain types of vitamins. Things like iron and calcium are particularly difficult to digest, so the body creates additional acid in an attempt to break them down, which causes pain and reflux. If you need these supplements, try to find more easily digestible ones, or simply add additional dairy or red meat to your diet to get them naturally.
Stress is another culprit for gastric reflux. Reducing your stress levels can greatly reduce the occurrences of gastric reflux in your life. Stress causes the body to overproduce acids, which again causes pressure to build and pain to result.
Additionally how much you eat can result in gastric reflux. Would it be Thanksgiving without heartburn after the meal? Yes, it would. Thanksgiving and special occasions aside, eating large meals on a regular basis can make digestion difficult for your body. So it deals with it the best way it knows how, by producing more and more acid to help break the extra food down. Of course, this extra acid comes with a side of reflux and pain for you.
Solutions
Aside from handling the aforementioned causes, there are a number of things you can do to naturally address gastric reflux, especially if it’s already in full swing.
One of the easiest ways to literally wash your gastric reflux away is by drinking a glass of water. This helps to flush excess acid out of your digestive tract.
Another method you can try is drinking a quarter of a cup of aloe vera juice. You can even do this before a meal if you suspect the meal might stir up trouble for you later in the evening. Use caution when applying this method though. Make sure you drink aloe vera juice and not gel. There is a difference! Gel is not meant for consumption and can have some adverse effects on your digestion. Only drink aloe vera juice that is labeled for consumption.
Things like apples and almonds have also helped dissolve the acids in some people’s stomachs.
Even papaya can prove very helpful when combating gastric reflux. It contains a digestive enzyme that helps the body break down the food you consume, and keeps acids from building up, which keeps gastric reflux pain at bay.
For more gastric reflux natural remedies, visit refluxremedy.com.
Filed under Acid Reflux Remedy, Gastric Reflux by admin
January 18, 2011
Stress Digestive Problems
Stress can be very hard on your body, and your digestive tract is no exception. A huge stress related digestive problem is heartburn.
When you are stressed out, it sends your body into flight or fight mode. This results in blood and oxygen being diverted away from your stomach to more important organs, like your heart, brain and muscles. That will help you to make a good decision about staying and fighting, or running.
Chronic stress results in a similar reaction from your body, although less extreme. It makes food difficult to digest because your body is spending time keeping itself running and keeps food low on the priority list. This causes pressure and acid to build up, resulting in painful heartburn and acid reflux.
Heartburn happens when acid is allowed to become too prevalent in the stomach, and seeps up into the esophagus, causing irritation and pain. Chronic stress can lead to frequent heartburn, which damages the esophagus.
Symptoms of stress related heartburn can include a burning sensation in the stomach that radiates up to the chest, hiccups, belching and indigestion.
Stress related heartburn can be caused by any number of things. Emotional stress can be very difficult to deal with. Things like a death in the family, a recent break up, illness and other things can make relaxing difficult. Other things like work, relationships, family, holidays, finances and striving to meet certain goals can compound these stressors.
So, what can you do to relieve stress related heartburn? First of all, chill out. It may seem difficult to relax with so much turmoil going on, but that’s life. You’ll need to adjust the way you deal with it in order to live a longer, healthier and happier life.
- Meditate or learn yoga and practice it regularly. Yoga focuses on your body’s inner peace and learning the principles of it can help to prevent stress from building.
- See someone. Visiting a psychologist or therapist can help you talk through some of your problems and come to a resolution. You can also learn techniques for how to deal with future problems so that stress doesn’t become such an issue down the line. Although you may think that finding the time and money to pay for such a luxury will add to your stress, it can provide priceless help to some people and it’s worth exploring if you’re having trouble dealing with the stresses in your life.
- Add exercise to your routine. Exercise helps to burn off excess energy, maintain a healthy body and helps you to relax much easier. People who exercise regularly are not only healthier than those who don’t, but are also less susceptible to stress related illnesses. So, do a bit of walking every morning, join a gym, or take a spinning class. Do whatever you need to in order to keep it fun, interesting and engaging.
Stress related digestive problems are a common issue that plagues thousands of people. However, you don’t need to suffer in silence. Pick up a copy of The Reflux Remedy Report for more tips and tricks on relieving stress related heartburn and other digestive problems. For more information, visit refluxremedy.com today!
Filed under Digestive Problems by admin