Because there is no miracle pill for acid reflux anyway. Pharmaceutical companies would like you to believe otherwise. But the truth is, researchers are far, far from being able to fabricate a remedy that can cure something as complex as reflux.
At best, these medications will relieve your symptoms. Often they are unnecessary. And in any case, they are dangerous when taken for the long term.
Against reflux, the most prescribed drugs ("PPIs", proton pump inhibitors) have only one effect : drastically reducing the acidity of the stomach. They relieve pain ... but aren't likely to cure you, because reflux isn't caused by an overly acidic stomach. Most importantly, PPIs are dangerous, causing serious illness and premature death when taken long term.
Fortunately, there are natural substances that properly reduce stomach acid without the side effects of PPIs, such as melatonin or ginger. There are also plants that effectively relieve irritated esophagus, such as licorice, lemon balm, marshmallow or aloe vera..
But no matter how natural these substances are, they too should remain temporary solutions ... useful for a short period of time, while you make the adjustments your body requires.
Because your first instinct should not be to ask yourself "how to put out the fire", but "what is my body trying to tell me? ".
Acid Reflux : Your Body Is Trying To Tell You Something !
Understand that your body doesn't want to hurt you. If you have pain somewhere, it's usually it's trying to send you a signal, hoping that you will do something.
If you put your hand on a hot plate, the pain forces you to remove it immediately. It's not to annoy you, it's to protect you: if you don't act immediately, you can quickly run out of hands.
It's the same with most chronic problems: if you have it, it's usually because you're doing something to your body that isn't right for it.
Of course, there are purely genetic diseases. Of course, some people are born more vulnerable than others to disease.
For example, you are more likely to have reflux if you have a hiatus hernia. But not everyone who has a hiatus hernia has reflux, at all !
In fact, in most cases, you can beat heartburn by changing your habits, rather than trying to relieve it after the fact. This involves very simple tips to improve digestion.
In case of acid reflux, do not lie down after meals !
Normal digestion, you know, goes from top to bottom: from the mouth to the esophagus, then from the stomach to the duodenum, then from the small intestine to the colon.
The problem with acid reflux is that some of the acidic fluid in the stomach travels up to the esophagus ... and causes serious burns.
To avoid it, the first thing to do is to take advantage of the law of gravity: the steeper the slope, the less easy it is for the gastric fluid to rise.
This is why we always advise against lying down right after a meal. In the evening, it is better to go to bed at least two to three hours after having dinner.
Because reflux often occurs at night, you can also raise the top of your bed four to eight inches using simple wedges. Again, this will increase your chances of preventing the contents of your stomach from rising.
Also pay attention to the position in which you sleep. Sleeping on your stomach significantly worsens reflux symptoms, according to Dr. Lauren Gerson's team at Stanford University. It would be best to sleep on your left side (however, if constantly change your position during the night, it will be difficult for you to follow this advice!).
Acid Reflux : Stop Compressing Your Belly !
It's not just the lying position that promotes acid reflux. For equally mechanical reasons, reflux gets worse when your stomach is compressed.
But there are very simple ways to reduce this pressure. Avoid :
- To wear tight clothes;
- To lean forward after a meal;
- To eat too fatty or too copious meals;
- And to be overweight.
If you have extra pounds, reflux is a great reason to lose them! Because overweight, especially at the abdominal level, can be a vector of serious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease!
This is why heartburn can be a chance : this relatively mild problem could give you extra motivation to lose weight.
Acid Reflux : avoid chronic stress
Stress is the standard “explanation” for gastroenterologists when they are unsure why you are in pain. (For years, doctors explained to their patients that their ulcer was caused by stress… until 'we discovered the main culprit in 1984, the bacterium Helicobacter Pylori).
But there is no doubt that stress makes reflux worse. It causes stomach spasms and tends to slow down the emptying of the stomach by blocking the small door that separates it from the duodenum (the pylorus).
More deeply, stress disrupts digestion from start to finish.. starting by reducing the secretion of saliva.
If you salivate when you see a delicious meal, it is not by chance: it is simply essential for digestion.
This is one of the reasons why tobacco is strongly not recommended for reflux victims: among its countless shortcomings, it reduces salivary secretion ! Conversely, studies have shown that chewing (sugar-free) gum after a meal for 30 minutes reduces symptoms of reflux.
So remember that stress management is an essential weapon against all digestive problems.
If you are stressed AND suffering from gastric reflux, now is the time to take up yoga, cardiac coherence, relaxation therapy or whatever method you prefer.
Be especially careful during the meal: try to make it a privileged moment, even a moment of meditation. Take a few moments before you begin, calmly salivate. Then chew gently, mindfully. It will greatly help your digestion.
Acid reflux: Take care of your bowels
Gas and bloating also compress your stomach and promote reflux. It's just one of many reasons to take care of your gut !
Start by being wary of dairy products: if you suffer from unexplained bloating or stomach cramps, it may be that you cannot stand lactose ! Try to exclude it completely from your diet for a while.
If that doesn't work, do the same with gluten : eliminating it can have miraculous results on digestive pain. And several studies confirm that a gluten-free diet can permanently solve reflux problems.
In both cases (milk and gluten), do not be afraid to permanently eliminate foods that contain it.
Because not only do they contain nothing essential from a nutritional point of view, but their elimination can relieve nearly 91 major diseases including autoimmune diseases (psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, polyarthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis), allergies , asthma, osteoarthritis, headaches, depression, insomnia, in addition to gastric and intestinal disorders.
But beware : you can also have bloating without being lactose intolerant or sensitive to gluten. In this case, it is a sign of a general imbalance of the intestinal flora.
And to remedy this, there is no secret : you have to take care of your diet, over time.
Without going into details, remember two essential things : to have healthy intestines, you have to significantly increase your consumption of vegetables, and drastically reduce your consumption of industrial products and quick sugars: white sugar, bread, pasta or potatoes.
By making these changes, it is not “only” your reflux that you will be treating : you will drastically reduce your risk of suffering, one day, from a chronic disease, whether it is cancer, osteoarthritis or diabetes or hypertension.
Too many people wait until they are victims of these kinds of diseases to decide to change their habits. It's a shame, but it makes sense : how do you get motivated when you don't have a health problem?
But if you have reflux, it can make it easier for you.
This is why I advise you not to just hide symptoms, even with natural remedies. Don't try to silence your body at all costs. Listen to him first: if it's complaining, there's probably something you need to change.
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