Heartburn and Acid Reflux Relief

Acid reflux is so common a problem, that most people suffer from, at some point in their lives; and the symptoms are largely recognizable. The painful ache in our solar plexus area and the difficulty in swallowing, the feeling of trapped wind in the esophagus and our upper chest area can be really uncomfortable and debilitating.

There are a number of related problems to acid reflux, which stem from the same kind of place. Here we take a closer look at each of the different issues and potential remedies for them.

Acid Reflux

At the entrance of the stomach we have a valve; which is a ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). In a fully functioning person, normally, the LES closes when food passes through. If it doesn’t close all the way or if it opens too frequently, then stomach acid moves up into your esophagus. The irritation this causes can then go on to induce symptoms such as the burning chest pain we call heartburn.

GERD

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease is a condition in which the content of your stomach leaks back up form the stomach to the esophagus. Essentially, a tube from the mouth to the stomach, the esophagus lies in the middle of the throat. GERD can be identified if you are suffering from any of the other symptoms more than a couple of times a week.

Heartburn

The feeling of a burning pain or discomfort moving from the stomach to the abdomen or chest, and sometimes up in the throat is heartburn. It is essentially a symptom of acid reflux problems and can be accompanied by certain other problems, such as a sour taste in the mouth or even feeling small amounts of bile regurgitate into the trachea.

Acid indigestion

Also known as dyspepsia, acid indigestion is a general term used to describe pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen. The discomfort can sometimes seem really mild and almost go undetected, whilst at other times being quite consuming and uncomfortable. In some cases, people may even mistake acid indigestion or heartburn for a heart attack.

What causes acid reflux?

There are a number of factors which contribute to developing acid reflux symptoms. The main risk factors for reflux include:

• Obesity
• Alcohol consumption
• Pregnancy
• Scleroderma
• Smoking

Also an increasing number of medications can induce acid reflux. These include, but are not limited to:

• Anticholinergics (e.g., for seasickness)
• Beta-blockers for high blood pressure or heart disease
• Bronchodilators for asthma
• Calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure
• Dopamine-active drugs for Parkinson’s disease
• Progestin for abnormal menstrual bleeding or birth control
• Sedatives for insomnia or anxiety
• Tricyclic antidepressants

We cannot suggest giving up a medication without consulting with a doctor first, so if you are experiencing repeated acid reflux, more than twice a week, you must ask your doctor’s advice.

Ways to combat or reduce heartburn, acid reflux etc.

Just as there are different variations of the symptoms, there are also different ways to combat them too. We’ve split this into two categories of action you can take or foods to help settle your stomach. There are many different medicines available, but often these can treat only the symptom; meaning the same problem will return tomorrow.

Foods

One of the best things you can do is to take a look at how your diet may be impacting on your acid reflux issues. Avoid eating any foods that trigger off heartburn. These can vary from patient to patient, but gassy drinks, caffeine alcohol, spicy food and onions are often cited as culprits. In order to track which aggravate your acid reflux; try keeping a food diary to help you identify what to limit.

Certain foods and supplements can help to reduce the potential for causing a heartburn attack. These are explained below:

• Liquorice has natural stomach healing properties and can be chewed from the root, which stimulates saliva production for a healthier gut, and releases the enzymes to help combat acid reflux.
• Aloe vera juice soothes and reduces inflammation. A teaspoon of it added to either water or a juice drink promotes a healthy gut and can help eases the discomfort of acid reflux.
• Slippery Elm is a demulcent; coating the stomach. Just a couple of tablespoons in water after meals and at bedtime, should help to reduce chronic reflux symptoms
• Salmon and oily fish as opposed to their supplements help keep levels within the body neutral. But of key importance is chewing food appropriately and making sure you eat several hours before bed.
• Cinnamon powder sprinkled onto two tablespoons of honey can help to alleviate indigestion symptoms from even the heaviest of meals
• Oatmeal almost a wonderfood, oatmeal is filling, but does not cause reflux. You can even add some raisins (which are potential aggravators) because the alkaline of the oats balances the acid out.
• Ginger is an anti-inflammatory addition to any diet and has been used for centuries to combat illnesses of the gut.
• Whilst bananas make a great snack, they’re also PH balanced for most sufferers of acid reflux. That said, with all food mentioned, some element of trial and error will help you to assess which cures and causes apply best in your own unique situation.

Actions

• Sleep on your left side. Research suggests that the LES relaxes more when you sleep on the right, which causes heartburn to be exacerbated
• Consider losing weight. Heartburn is often exacerbated through weight gain. Even as little as losing two pounds could help combat the feeling of acid reflux.
• Elevate your upper body. If you lay flat in bed, your throat and stomach are in line, which means it’s kind of easy for stomach acids to flow up the trachea and lie in the esophagus,
• Avoid tight clothes. Ideally wear nothing, otherwise wear loose fitting clothes: so as not to put additional pressure on the stomach area.
• Relax when you eat. Eating when either stressed or rushed can cause the stomach to produce an excess of acids.
• Stay upright after eating. Whilst you should relax after eating to optimize digestion, you should not do so by lying down. Staying upright lowers the risk of acid creeping back up your esophagus.
• Chew gum or liquorice root. The chewing action produces saliva, which empties the stomach’s acids.
• Avoid bending over or straining to lift heavy objects.
• Eat at least 4 hours before bedtime. This reduces the stomach acid build up.
• Wait before exercising. Allow a couple of hours after a meal before rigorous exercise. This gives your stomach time to empty itself.
• Review medications. If you are taking certain types of medicine, they could be causing you to have the acid reflux. This is something you need to investigate thoroughly with your doctor’s advice.
• Say goodbye to the smokes. Not only does smoking relax the esophageal muscles that keep stomach acid in place, but cigarette smoke also irritates your GI tract; which can cause build up too.

A word of advice is to never ignore persistent heartburn. If it’s left untreated, chronic acid reflux can scar and narrow your esophagus, causing all sorts of associated complications: from Barrett’s esophagus to cancer of the esophagus. Whilst our advice is set out to guide you, we also stress the importance of visiting a doctor in order to check for any real damage to the throat tissues.

If all fails, you can try out the Heartburn No More program.