Acid reflux
treatments can be divided into three broad categories:
surgical
intervention; prescribed medications or
over-the-counters; and the all-natural holistic
treatment. Prior to giving an introduction to each of
these acid reflux treatments, I will refer
briefly to the immediate biological causes of acid
reflux, also called the GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux
disease), as a medical condition.
Why Does Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease
Occur?
Gastro-esophageal reflux disease occurs when
gastric acids from the stomach move back into your
esophagus. Regurgitation (reflux) of these acids can
also cause a number of symptoms : brackish taste in the mouth, cough,
chest pain , asthma attacks at night and hoarseness of
voice. The cardinal symptom of GERD is persistent
heartburn, a burning sensation in the chest and the
throat.
Technically, gastro-esophageal reflux disease
is a result of malfunction of the valve-like mechanism
located between the esophagus and the stomach called the
lower esophageal sphincter (LES). If the LES does not
close properly - stomach contents leak back, or reflux,
into the esophagus. Heartburn occurs when refluxed
stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus.
Treatment of Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease
As mentioned above, there are several
different approaches to the treatment of
gastro-esophageal reflux disease, as each of these
approaches tackles the condition according to the way it
perceives the condition. In this way, acid reflux
surgery addresses the weakening of the LES and thus is
aimed at strengthening it to block acid from touching
the esophagus to prevent any inflammation. During acid
reflux surgery, parts of the stomach are wrapped around
the lower esophagus in order to prevent the refluxed
stomach content to come into contact with the
esophagus.
Prescribed medications and over-the-counters, including antacids,
PPIs and H2 blockers, appear to be very popular in
treating GERD. Generally speaking, acid reflux
medications address the excess acidity in the stomach.
Unfortunately, these medications usually provide nothing
more than a temporary relief and carry a host of side
effects. The first kind of drugs is the PPIs or Proton
pump inhibitors. This type of medication is aimed at
blocking the mechanism in the stomach cells, which is
responsible for releasing acid into the stomach. Hence,
when the mechanism is blocked, the process of acid
reflux stops immediately. The second type of
prescription drug is the Antacids. Antacids are mainly
concerned with neutralizing the acidity. The third type
of prescription drug comes in the form of H2 - receptor
antagonists. It is concerned with the functions of your
gastric system. They actually halt the production of
stomach acid production by working on the gastric
system.
The main downside related to the conventional
medicine's approach to treatment, including acid reflux surgical
and
medicinal treatments, is that these approaches focus on
the immediate, local or technical causes of GERD.
Gastro-esophageal reflux disease is a complex
condition caused by several behavioral, dietary and
lifestyle factors. Adequate treatment for acid reflux
must address the root of the problem, rather than
constantly trying to prevent or relieve the external
physical symptoms.
Holistic therapy, which is based on dietary
and lifestyle changes (i.e. avoiding acid triggering
foods, reducing stress, optimizing sleep, stress control
etc.), detoxification, and the intake of specific herbal
supplements, is the only approach aimed at tackling the
internal GERD factors rather than the local causes.
It encompasses the following:
·
Drink plenty of water to detoxify the
stomach. This is recommended even for healthy people but
for people with acid reflux, they must drink enough
water to keep the urine a light yellow
color.
·
Herbs like anise, lavender, chamomile, and
orange peel extract keep acid level in the stomach under
control.
·
Massage abdomen with essential oils such as
peppermint, anise seed, or chamomile dissolved in
carrier oil like olive oil or jojoba
oil.
·
Avoid fatty and fried foods, high sugar
foods, caffeinated and alcoholic
beverages.
·
Sleeping and lying down with the head and
shoulders raised above the body lowers the chances of
acid creeping back up into the
esophagus.
·
Eating food at least three hours before lying
down or bending over can also be of help as pressure on
the stomach is avoided and the acid does not get a
chance to reflux.
·
Avoid smoking, wearing tight clothes, and
eating spicy foods.
Unlike the short-term solutions that are
designed to achieve immediate relief from the
debilitating and sometimes painful GERD symptoms, the
holistic approach provides an all-natural, comprehensive acid reflux
treatment that can stop and prevent its
recurrence safely and
effectively.