Gastro Esophageal Reflux

I have been suffering from this for weeks now. It has become aggressive and it is already affecting my day to day living. I am desperate of seeking cure for this. 

Natural GERD Treatment: Healthy GERD Diet & Foods to Avoid with GERD

Welcome to this GERD treatment guide.

Have you ever had that recurring nightmare where you feel like someone is burning hot knives into your throat or neck?

The bad news:
It’s not a nightmare, it’s probably GERD.

If you feel like you have a burning pain in your neck, throat, chest, or heart, you probably have acid reflux, also known as GERD.

The good news:
You can do something about it. You should be glad to know that there are many GERD treatment options – most importantly changing what and the way that you eat.

What Is GERD?

GERD is short for gastroesophageal reflux disease, and is the result of acid reflux. With this disease, your esophagus becomes swollen and painful due to the acid that your stomach is kicking back up towards your throat.

Remember: Your esophagus is that long tube that connects your mouth to your stomach, and it is what helps the food you eat to go down.

What Happens When You Eat?

When you eat food, it travels through your esophagus towards your stomach, and your stomach uses its acid to digest the food.

The reason that your stomach isn’t constantly in pain is that it has a special lining that protects it from the acid, meaning that the acid can’t eat through the walls of your stomach.

Your throat, however, has no such lining, and thus any time your acid reflux kicks in and you feel like your throat is on fire, you are probably suffering from GERD.

Your stomach has a special muscle that connects it to your esophagus, known as a sphincter. This muscle usually only allows food down, and not the other way.

However, when you have GERD, it is because that sphincter muscle has relaxed to the point that the acid from your stomach can travel back up your esophagus. This means that the acid that is digesting the food in your stomach is able to head back up your esophagus, and it starts to eat at the lining of your esophageal walls.

Roughly 25 to 40 percent of the adults in the U.S. suffer from some variety of GERD, with as much as 10 percent of the population experiencing it on a regular (daily or weekly) basis.

Typical Causes of GERD

There are a few things that are believed to cause GERD:

• 1. Being overweight, slouching, smoking, drinking, and having a generally poor lifestyle.
• 2. Hiatal hernia, pregnancy, diabetes, very fast gaining of weight, and other medical conditions.
• 3. Eating immediately before sleeping, as well as eating meals that are too large.
• 4. Having a diet that is rich in onions, garlic, fatty foods, spicy stuff, caffeinated drinks, citrus, etc.
• 5. Certain medications, such as nitrates, antihistamines, and calcium channel blockers.

GERD Pain and GERD Symptoms

GERD is a fairly painful disorder, as your body is basically eating itself up. There are a few things that indicate that you may be suffering from GERD:

• A sore throat or a feeling like you have a very large frog stuck in your trachea
• You may have a hard time swallowing, even things like water and ice cream.
• A very dry, persistent cough that has no explained cause.
• Pain in your chest
• A feeling like your chest is on fire. This feeling often spreads to your throat, and you may taste sour bile in your mouth.
• Acid reflux, which really means regurgitating the food that you have swallowed.

If you experience any of these GERD pains or GERD palpitations, it is important that you immediately seek medical help.

While you may not have to undergo surgery, it is good that you get medications to help treat the problem. Your doctor will be able to recommend a good GERD Treatment or aGERD diet to help you solve the problem, thus reducing the pain and eliminating the symptoms.

Using Acid Reflux Remedies in Your GERD Treatment

One of the best acid reflux remedies that you can try in your GERD treatment is a diet for acid reflux.

The foods you eat have a lot to do with the way you feel, and putting the right foods in your body with a GERD diet is actually the best natural GERD treatment you can find, along with a healthy lifestyle.

Don’t know what to eat or do?

Here are tips that will help to deal with your GERD and reduce it as much as possible without the need for any medications:

• Get in shape – One of the best ways to reduce the chances of GERD being a problem is by keeping your weight in check. Too much extra weight around your midsection will place pressure on your stomach, which will push on it and cause some of the acid to head up your esophagus. Slow weight loss is the way to go.
• Hang loose – Surprisingly, the clothes you wear can contribute to your GERD. Clothes that are very tight constrict your waist, which causes pressure to be placed on your stomach. Wear loose clothing in order to reduce this problem.
• Eat less – Eating less will not only help you to lose weight, but will also require that your stomach only produces a limited amount of acid. Less acid in your stomach means that your stomach has less to send up your esophagus, meaning less pain for you.
• Stay up – Many people lie down once they have finished eating, and this usually leads to GERD because gravity sends the acid up the esophagus. In order to prevent this from happening, don’t lie down immediately after meals. Wait a few hours until your food has digested properly before lying down.
• Watch your consumption – There are foods and drinks that will cause problems with GERD, and you should avoid these things. (See more information on nutritional GERD treatment below)
• Raise your head – When you sleep at night, try and raise your head so that it is higher than your body. You can either use regular pillow to elevate your head, or consider the Acid reflux pillow below to provide you with relief from pain.
• Quit smoking – Smoking causes all kinds of problems in your body, not the least of which is acid reflux. Cut out smoking and give your body a break.
  These are just a few natural remedies that can be the perfect GERD treatment, and you will find that making these simple lifestyle changes might have a huge impact on your GERD condition.

  Gerd Treatment: A Gerd Surgery? Gerd Medication?

  If the GERD treatment tips above aren’t enough to help you deal with your problem, then you may have to consider medication or surgery as an alternative.
  Don’t know what your options are?
  Here are some things you can turn to if your GERD diet just isn’t working.

  GERD Medication

  • Antacids – Antacids are exactly what they sound like: anti acids.
    They help to provide relief from the pains of your GERD, but the relief is only temporary and won’t correct your problem.
  • Acid Reduction Meds – Certain medications help to reduce the production of acid by your stomach, and they are a more long term solution to your problem than antacids.
  • Acid Production Blockers – Acid production blockers actually prevent the stomach from producing acid, and they contain ingredients that will help to heal your damaged esophagus.
  • Meds to Strengthen the Sphincter – Medications known as prokinetic agents help to strengthen the muscle of the sphincter that connects your esophagus to your stomach, thus preventing the acid from coming back up your throat.

  GERD Surgery

  • Sphincter Reinforcing – One surgery helps to strengthen the muscles of the sphincter that connects your stomach and esophagus, thus helping your body to naturally prevent the backing up of acid.
  • Barrier Creation – Some surgeries involve creating a barrier that will actually stop the acid from going back up your stomach.
  • Scar Tissue Formation – If there is one thing in the world stomach acid can’t eat through, it’s scar tissue. This surgery heats the tissue of your esophagus to create scar tissue, and it damages the nerves that are sensitive to the acid reflux.
    This heals your esophagus and gives your muscles extra strength.
  These meds and surgeries are usually only last ditch GERD treatment attempts, so try and do as much as you can naturally to prevent and deal with it before considering these options.

  Top Natural Cure for Gerd – a Gerd Natural Treatment

  If you want the best GERD treatment, the natural cure for GERD is simply to change your lifestyle.
  All of the things that you are doing, eating, drinking, and smoking are causing the problems, so giving your life a good hard look will help you to find what areas need to be changed in order to deal with the GERD.
  Still don’t know what needs to be changed? Here are some GERD natural treatment tips to help you deal with the GERD by changing your life:
  • 1. Change your Diet – Everyone knows that acid reflux is caused in part by your diet, so change the way you eat, the things you eat, and the amounts you eat in order to deal with the problem. You can find tips for a great GERD diet below that will help you deal with the problem.
  • 2. Balance Acid Levels – Your body naturally produced hydrochloric acid in your stomach to digest your food, but too much acid is what causes GERD in the first place. In order to eliminate GERD, balance out the acid levels in your body. The alkaline in your body will help to cancel out the acid in your stomach, thus preventing GERD from being a serious problem.
  • 3. Take Vitamin D – Vitamin D helps to prevent your esophagus from being destroyed by stomach acids, as it helps to create certain peptides that will root out and eliminate any infections. Not only should you get out and spend more time in the sun to get natural Vitamin D, but you should also consider taking Vitamin D supplements.
  • 4. Get More Exercise – Exercise is the solution for pretty much every problem in your body, and you will find that doing exercise can help to eliminate your GERD effectively. The reason for this is that exercise causes your heart to pump more oxygen-rich blood through your body, and more oxygen means better functioning organs.
  • 5. Stop Smoking – Smoking causes lung cancer, high blood pressure, weakened arterial walls, high cholesterol, terrible breath, and, on top of all of that, acid reflux. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to fight off your GERD, and you may find that stopping is exactly what you need to prevent it in the first place.
  Make a few simple changes to your lifestyle as part of your GERD treatment, and see your stomach and esophagus thank you as they are no longer burning.

  Gerd Treatment: The Best Home Remedies for Acid Reflux

  Now that you know what lifestyle changes you need to make, it is time to learn about a few instant GERD treatment options and home remedies for acid reflux that you can take without ever having to leave your house.
  Obviously it is important to avoid the foods that cause the problem, but you should know about a few foods that can actually deal with the problem immediately:
  • 1. Raw Foods – Raw foods contain enzymes that help to fight off GERD and other problems, but the enzymes are destroyed when the food is cooked. Eat raw fruits and vegetables to get these enzymes in abundance.
  • 2. Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar – the real stuff, not the processed stuff – can help to calm down your stomach and make digestion easier for you.
    It also helps to fight off acid reflux, and will provide you quick relief if you take a spoonful in a glass of water.
  • 3. Aloe Vera Juice – Aloe vera treats just about anything that is burning, with acid being no exception. It can help to treat acid reflux and provide your poor esophagus relief from pain.
  • 4. Baking Soda – Baking soda is actually a natural antacid that will stop acid reflux and GERD, so add a spoonful into a glass of water and suck it down before the soda stops bubbling.
  • 5. Glutamine – Glutamine is an amino acid that is present in parsley, fish, eggs, and spinach. It can help to reduce the inflammation that is the result of acid reflux.
  • 6. Herbal Licorice – Herbal licorice is way stronger than the candy, but it will help by coating your stomach with a gel-like substance that will actually protect it.
  Try these herbal and home remedies in your GERD treatment to feel “all better!”

  Foods that Can Cause Acid Reflux

  There are a few foods that are responsible for causing acid reflux, which in turn causes GERD.
  Don’t know what foods they are?
  Here is a list of foods to avoid with GERD or acid reflux problems:
  • Tomatoes and lemons are the two most acidic fruits, and will be directly responsible for GERD.
  • Orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemonade and cranberry juice will all cause GERD as well.
  • Ground beef, marbled sirloin steaks, buffalo wings, and chicken nuggets can cause GERD.
  • Spaghetti with tomato sauce and mac and cheese are both major players on GERD’s team.
  • Mashed potatoes, French fries, and onions can all cause GERD.
  • Wine, coffee, liqueurs, and tea are all friends of GERD.
  • Cream based salad dressings, oily and acidic dressings, butter cookies, brownies, chocolate, and corn chips are all responsible for causing GERD.
  • Cottage cheese, sour cream, milkshakes, and ice cream can all cause GERD.
  Remember that these foods all cause your body to produce more acid to digest them, therefore avoiding them will reduce the amount of acid in your body.

  Gerd Treatment: An Acid Reflux Pillow?

  An amazing invention is the Acid reflux pillow, a device that looks simple but is incredibly practical.
  The pillow is shaped like a giant doorstop, and it slants upwards in order to raise your head above your chest level.
  As recommended above, raising your head when you sleep will help gravity to work on your side to keep the acid reflux down. Rather than allowing the GERD to get the best of you, the acid reflux pillow can actually help to keep your acid reflux heading towards your intestines instead of towards your throat.

  Gerd Treatment: Aloe Vera Gerd Effects

  Aloe vera has many natural soothing properties, and you will find that using aloe vera to help you treat your GERD is one of the best natural GERD treatment options you have.
  As mentioned above, Aloe Vera will help to calm down your upset stomach, can reduce inflammation, help your stomach to digest food more effectively, soothe your poor painful esophagus, and fight off acid reflux.
  You should drink a bit of Aloe vera juice the minute you start feeling the pains of acid reflux to obtain nearly instantaneous relief.
  
  
  source: http://www.gerd-diet.com/gerd-treatment/