The Best Ways to Fight Back Against Heartburn

Many Americans complain of suffering from heartburn, and they may be seeking a natural treatment for heartburn to get natural GERD relief. GERD, or gastroesophogeal reflux disorder, is indeed a disorder of the stomach and the valve that seals it off from the throat. A person who experiences GERD/heartburn may seek natural treatment for GERD, and such treatments may be minimally invasive and quite palatable to use. A natural treatment for heartburn doesn’t actually involve cardio health, since “heartburn” is not a problem of the heart desire its name. Rather, it is a disorder with stomach acids going where they do not belong, causing pain in the throat and chest. This may cause a feeling similar to one’s heart burning, but a natural treatment for heartburn will in fact address the stomach and throat. An acid reflux diet plan may be a fine natural treatment for heartburn, along with acid reflux therapy from trained professionals.

All About GERD

This unsavory health issue is hardly a rarity; in fact, estimates say that as many as one in five adult men and women in the United States have this condition. It often affects middle aged and older adults, and seems to affect men and women at roughly similar rates. In fact, some studies suggest that around 44% of the American adult population (or even more) experiences heartburn at least once per month, if not more often. Ordinarily, when a person swallows food or drink, that material (a bolus) will travel down the throat with muscles, and a sphincter allows the bolus to enter the stomach, and the valve will close again. This is normal procedure.

The problem is when that sphincter’s muscles are weakened or not functioning properly, meaning that the sphincter may often open more often than it should. This allows powerful stomach acids to flow up the throat and up the chest cavity, when normally such acids would never go there aside from instances of vomiting. Chest burn does not necessarily present with vomiting, but it is similar in that stomach acids are improperly entering the throat and damaging its lining. Someone who experiences this only rarely might not need to take drastic measures, but someone who suffers from this chronically may want to see their doctor and explain what is happening. Their doctor may make a number of recommendations based on the severity and frequency of heartburn instances (which are factors that will vary) and suggest prescription medicine as well as some natural treatment for heartburn. Such natural treatment for heartburn, partnered with effective medication, may go a long way toward minimizing the chances of further episodes.

Some Natural Treatment for Heartburn

Good medication can go a long way toward preventing an upset stomach and weak sphincter from causing heartburn, but someone who suffers from GERD can also take matters into their own hands with simple but effective (and certainly safe) countermeasures against this unpleasant condition. Lifestyle chances may do a lot of good, such as choosing to wear looser-fitting clothes. Tighter clothes may press on the stomach and make uprisings of acid more likely, whether standing or sitting, so tight pants, belts, or corsets are discouraged. What is more, even sleep positions may help. A person laying flat is like a soda bottle on its side; that is, liquids can easily flow from one to the other. Simple gravity can help reduce heartburn rates when the sufferer sleeps on an incline. After all, many heartburn episodes take place at night due to liquids easily flowing through a horizontal person. The person should also avoid tobacco products, since the nicotine relaxes the body physically, and that certainly includes the sphincter. Alcohol is also harmful, since it also weakens that sphincter and makes the stomach acid stronger.

Diet is another area to consider. The heartburn patient should abstain from spicy foods, whether powders or sauces, and instead consume food and drinks such as bananas, aloe juice, chamomile tea, fermented foods, apples, and ginger tea may all lower the stomach’s acidity and prevent it from getting too upset or churn too much. All of this may also reduce the odds of the stomach getting upset, or calm an already-upset stomach to decrease acid reflux odds.

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