This
article discusses how the right bed position can
provide relief to Acid Reflux
victims.
Gastro
esophageal reflux disease is the cause of night
time sorrow and loss of sleep in many people - and
the number seems to be on the rise. Various acid
inhibiting medications and change of lifestyle
hardly make any difference to chronic GERD
patients who go through painfully sleepless
nights, praying for anything that could alleviate
the rigors of GERD.
The
lower esophageal sphincter or the LES which
malfunctions, thus leaking acidic stomach contents
up through the esophagus right up to the mouth,
however does not create much problem all through
the day. In fact, the gravity helps a lot in
keeping the stuff within the small intestine as
long as the torso remains in a vertical position.
But sleeping in an otherwise comfortable bed at
night brings in all the hazards of
GERD.
In
a horizontal position, the gravity cannot stop the
acid from flowing freely back into the esophagus
through the leaking LES, thus creating heartburn
and associated discomfort. To counteract this
issue, doctors often suggest sleeping in an
upright position. But not everyone is as vigorous
as a race horse that can sleep, standing royal
regal in the stable all through the
night.
As
necessity is the mother of all inventions, people
have experimented and found that keeping only the
upper torso slightly raised from the rest of the
body solves the problem to a great extent. As a
matter of fact, this maneuver makes the acidic
stomach content to halt at the base of the
esophagus, just as it should. But the question
remains, as to how much to raise and the mechanism
of adopting it in a conventional
bedstead.
The
trial initially started with the standard
three-part hospital bed, each end of which could
be raised by cranking a lifting mechanism like the
automobile lifting jack, used for changing tires.
Inconvenience along with technical hassles soon
made people discard the project when researchers
came up with specially inclined GERD beds for the
benefit of gastro esophageal reflux disease
patients. Equipped with innumerable comfort
positions along with heat and massage options,
these beds can help support a lifetime of good
health and restful sleep by way of treating acid
reflux bed position.
While
pillows are vital sleeping accessories in any
sleep inducing bed, their association with any
disease is equally significant. Another invention
in the form of acid reflux pillow can provide a
GERD patient with the optimum angle, best suited
to acid reflux and thus begin the end of his or
her sorrows. Besides, sleeping with acid reflux
pillows is good for the back, apart from its
soothing effect on the GERD. Besides, the acid
reflux pillow does not interfere with the
partner's sleep style since it raises only the
GERD patient's head.
In
reality, treating acid reflux bed position can
only provide a temporary relief. For a long term
solution, the person has to opt for holistic
remedies, as they have been proved to be more
effective. Holistic
remedies are so effective because they treat the
body as a whole. GERD causes are many and they can
be complicated. So just treating the symptoms will
not work - what is needed is a more detailed
approach where all the possible sources need to be
investigated.
What
is needed is a complete treatment, which is what
holistic treatments do - and this is why they are
so successful.
