Home Remedies You Can Try To Manage GERD Symptoms
Managing and dealing with the discomfort and pain that GERD symptoms exert on the body is no mean feat. Doctors suggest home remedies as the best treatment for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), whereby the stomach contents move up to the esophagus or food pipe. As a result, heartburns, swallowing issues, bloating, and even chest pain are few common symptoms characterizing this condition.
Among the home remedies, a few daily habits’ modifications like consuming small meals, avoiding food triggers, early dinners can bring about some relief. But if symptoms persist after that, doctors usually recommend stringent medical treatments like medications and surgeries, too, in few cases. Following are few basic home remedies that should help those who’ve been battling with the ailment or know anyone who might benefit accordingly.
Check On Food Triggers
Keep a tab on what you put inside your body. Certain foods and beverages intensify or trigger the symptoms. As per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), there are common food triggers for GERD. This includes alcohol, chocolates, coffee, spicy foods, fatty items, mint, and acidic foods like lemons and tomatoes, to name a few.
Focus On The Environment
A relaxed environment promotes healthy eating. So if you want to digest your foods properly, ensure you eat your meals in an environment conducive to your health betterment. Adding more stress to the dining table causes muscles to tense up, aggravating the GERD situation.
Consume Smaller Meals
There’s an added likelihood that larger meals would empty the stomach. There is a lot of pressure on the lower oesophageal sphincter, and that harms the system. If you wish to be wary of symptoms beforehand, consume lesser quantities of food at once. Besides, a person who eats smaller meals and greater frequencies than larger meals will stay much safer and disease-free.
Have Bigger Meals Earlier
Having any small snack just before bed can produce debilitating symptoms like acid reflux, which might even turn worse overnight. This is largely because a change in posture has happened even when the body makes its best effort to digest the food. A better idea would be to keep lunchtime as the prime meal, while dinners can be light. Also, having dinner early works wonders. Rather than having it just before bedtime, a relaxed and early consumption implies the body gets more time to digest.
Refrain From Post-Meal Activities
Say no to physical activities after mealtimes. Chances are greater than the abdominal muscles can contract, forcing the food back to the food pipe and resulting in heartburns. Ideally, it’s better to refrain from doing tasks that involve bending, like lifting objects or even cleaning the floor.
Keep Your Posture Perfect
Make it a point to sit straight after having your food. Gravity is a great way to control reflux, so check that you sit in an upright posture for at least a couple of hours or so to prevent heartburn. This makes us come to a basic point- try and avoid naps hence during afternoons.
Keep The Head In An Elevated Position While Sleeping
Symptoms often recur when a person is in deep slumber. So the best thing to do is change the sleeping position to help the esophagus stay above the stomach. To make some changes, you can put a wedge or something similar right under the head of the bed that would make it elevated. In this way, the esophagus tends to stay at a higher point than the legs.
Quit Smoking
According to a 2016 study, there are numerous links between the recurrence of GERD symptoms and smoking. Researchers had further examined the impact of quitting smoking in those people who had GERD but were smokers. The good thing was that a noticeably visible result showed that symptoms reduced markedly. Hence, doctors conclude that giving up on smoking among those affected by GERD will always bear positive results.
Apart from these, obesity is also an underlying factor in the growing incidences of GERD. Studies have established a clear link if weight loss via dietary changes can benefit patients affected with GERD, but there are obvious benefits. So, embrace a healthy lifestyle, and you can be sure that you can fight away the GERD symptoms.
More in Treatment
-
`
Brain Computer Interfaces: Decoding Words From Brain Signals
In a groundbreaking development, scientists at Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, have unveiled two remarkable brain-computer interfaces...
December 11, 2023 -
`
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s “Attachment Parenting”
In the glamorous world of celebrity news, there’s nothing quite as exciting as the arrival of a new baby. Kourtney Kardashian,...
December 8, 2023 -
`
The Effect Of an Emotional Relationship on Your Well-Being
Emotional relationships are a profound and essential aspect of our lives, encompassing connections with partners, friends, family, and even ourselves. These...
November 29, 2023 -
`
Navigating Generational Differences in Healthcare Preferences
In today’s diverse workforce, catering to different generations’ healthcare needs and preferences can be quite a challenge for employers. Healthcare benefits,...
November 15, 2023 -
`
What Is ‘Sharenting’ & What Is the Psychology Behind It?
In the age of the internet, where oversharing is practically a pastime, ‘sharenting’ is a term that has emerged as a...
November 11, 2023 -
`
Self-care for PTSD
In today’s modern world, with our diverse experiences, dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not uncommon. Coping with PTSD can...
November 1, 2023 -
`
Celebrities Who Love to Gamble
Celebrities often live a life of glamour, luxury, and extravagance, and it’s no surprise that some have a penchant for high-stakes...
October 29, 2023 -
`
Fall and Winter Illnesses | How to Be Prepared
As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, we bid farewell to the warm embrace of summer and welcome the beautiful...
October 17, 2023 -
`
5 Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Friendship
Friendship is a crucial aspect of your child’s life. It is where they learn valuable social skills, build trust, and create...
October 13, 2023
You must be logged in to post a comment Login