Have Acid Reflux? Try This GERD Natural Treatment

GERD is something which no one wants to experience. However, acid reflux is very common. Stress, diet and unhealthy lifestyle are often the causes of GERD. If you suffer from acid, you may experience one or all of the following complications: inflammation, sore throat, respiratory problems such as asthma and fibrosis of the esophagus, which is a risk factor for esophageal cancer. Now, you can treat your acid reflux with these GERD natural treatment alternatives. These GERD natural treatment options can give you the relief you need:

1. Chamomile and ginger, a dynamic duo.

Chamomile and ginger tea helps to relax the upper gastrointestinal tract during an attack of heartburn which makes them an effective GERD natural treatment. For help with this natural remedy for heartburn, put a bag of chamomile tea and 1 / 4 c. teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or a pinch of ginger powder) in a cup of boiling water and let it stand for 5 minutes. You may or may not add sugar to tea.

2. Calcium citrate calcium carbonate as GERD natural treatment.

This is the same as the body needs calcium to build bones and relax muscles. It is also effective as an anti-acid, which relieves heartburn. You need between 500 mg and 1000 mg of calcium nitrate a day.

3. Pepper and oregano oil

Several studies have shown that oil of oregano and pepper spray is effective in reducing symptoms of GERD. Pepper and oregano oil is commonly found in capsules with an enteric coating to prevent breakage in the stomach and esophagus to cause more irritation. This natural remedy for acid reflux breaking through the intestines, large and small, will do their job effectively.

4. Licorice, effective GERD natural treatment.

The licorice extract heals efficiently and helps relieve symptoms of acid reflux. If you have an irritated esophagus as a result of acid reflux, take two chewable tablets of Licorice, 20 minutes before meals. Licorice is found to be an effective treatment for the infection of H. Pylori, the bacterium that causes gastric ulcers.

It is important to identify foods that tend to aggravate your acid reflux and then try to exclude from your diet. Many people find they have fewer symptoms of acid reflux, whether to reduce or eliminate the consumption of chocolate, fried foods, caffeine and processed foods. Many people who suffer from acid reflux also found that their condition is reduced if small meals and eat unless you eat when you have an irritation or discomfort. Natural healing seems contrary to what might be considered logical, since it works on adding stomach acid indigestion, providing relief. If you want to try this natural treatment for acid reflux, first consult your doctor or nutritionist. Your doctor may prescribe the right dose for you and how to take this supplement.

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Prevent Heartburn and Acid Reflux by Improving the Health of Your Diaphragm

We pay a lot of attention to maintaining the health of certain parts of our bodies, especially the heart, lungs hair, nails, and skin, but how many people ever consider their diaphragm? Unless you have had advanced lessons in activities that focus on breathing, such as singing, swimming or playing wind instruments, you probably have not heard much about your diaphragm. Consciously controlling and exercising your diaphragm helps you breathe more deeply and to hold your breath longer which is key for the above mentioned activities as well as activities in which aiming is vital such as archery, target shooting and golf.

Did you know that your diaphragm is not only important for controlling breathing, but is also vital for your overall health? The diaphragm's role in breathing also makes it part of the system that delivers proper amounts of oxygen to all the parts of your body. Without enough oxygen, virtually all parts of the body experience reduced performance and can even be damaged in the long run. One of the most noticeable side-effects of inadequate oxygen supply is a lack of energy. Sometimes, the real cause of lethargy and fatigue is simply not getting enough oxygen to the brain and muscles for them to perform at optimal levels. Any professional athlete will tell you that breathing right helps them play their best. Try this experiment: pick up something that you consider to be fairly heavy. If you try picking it up while holding your breath, you will find it more difficult than if you try picking it up while breathing deeply in and out.

An even less obvious, but no less vital aspect of the diaphragm is its effects on the digestive, blood circulatory, and nervous systems. Few people realize that the diaphragm is located not only under their lungs, but that it also separates the chest cavity (where the heart, lungs etc. are) and the abdominal cavity (home of the stomach, intestines etc.). The diaphragm extends from the front of the chest all the way to the spine and fills the rib cage below the lungs from one of your sides to the other. It is a broad, flattened, dome-like muscle that, just like any muscle in the body, can become weak and that can be strengthened with exercise, stimulation and proper diet. The diaphragm has holes in it that allow the esophagus, nerves, veins and arteries to pass through it. The muscle tissue that surrounds these holes squeeze the tubes, helping to control flow. In fact, symptoms of "heartburn", upset stomach, and vomiting can have their root cause in a weak diaphragm that is not properly constricting the esophagus.

Perhaps you have heard of a condition called a 'hiatal hernia'. This is a very painful condition in which a part of the stomach tries to squeeze through the hole in the diaphragm surrounding the esophagus. The side-effects of this condition can be confused with a stomach ulcer, heartburn, or gas build-up. Sometimes, it is even sever enough to seem like a heart attack. Typical treatments for hiatal hernia such as drastically reducing meal portions, sleeping in specific positions, and even surgery. None of these options are nearly as effective as improving the health and strength of the diaphragm muscle. Applied kinesiology techniques can help to strengthen the diaphragm muscles, thus treating the root cause of the condition.

Are you feeling weak or tired all the time? Have you had heartburn, acid reflux, gas bloating, or even symptoms of ulcers or a mild heart attack? If so, you need to see a holistic physician who specializes in applied kinesiology. The real cause of your symptoms may be a weak diaphragm.

John Enfield is a long-time patient of Dr. David Cohen, D.C. a chiropractic physician specializing in applied kinesiology. John has greatly benefited from Dr. Cohen's holistic approach to healthcare and has seem major improvement in his range of movement, reduction in chronic pain and digestive health. John used to get heartburn very easily, but now he can occasionally eat spicy foods without having to take heartburn medicines thanks to applied kinesiology methods.

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Foods You Should Avoid If You Have Acid Reflux

There are several different acid reflux foods to avoid. If you suffer from this issue, it is important to ensure that you become familiar with all of the foods that are considered to be culprits of the condition. When the muscular valve at the end of the esophagus opens either too often, or too far, it often results in gastric liquids from the stomach back flowing into the esophagus. When this happens, the individual often suffers from an immense amount of pain and/or discomfort. This experience is commonly referred to as "Heartburn". Consuming foods that have a high acid content could increase the likelihood of experiencing this discomfort. The following highlights the different acid reflux foods to avoid if you suffer from frequent bouts of heartburn:

The first types of acid reflux foods to avoid are those that contain a high amount of fat. In addition to this, it is important to ensure that you limit your intake of foods that are prepared using grease, oil or butter. It is a known fact that these food products have the ability to drastically slow the progression of digestion. As a result of remaining in the stomach for such a long period of time, there is a certain amount of pressure that develops. As this continues, it is likely that the gastric juices will flow back into the esophagus.

• It is also important to ensure that as you prepare your list of acid reflux foods to avoid that you put those that are considered to be spicy down. Foods and ingredients that are considered to be spicy in nature drastically increase the amount of acid that is contained within the stomach. As a result, when the valve at the end of the esophagus opens, there is a greater likelihood that the liquid will flow back into that region of the body.

• When researching acid reflux foods to avoid, it is important to ensure that you avoid those that contain a high level of acid in them. Examples of these foods and food products include citrus fruits, vegetables such as tomatoes, and even beverages that contain acid. By eliminating these foods from your diet, you will be successfully eliminating the amount of acid that is contained within your stomach and also reducing the amount of pressure that accumulates in the stomach.

• You should be especially cautious of foods and ingredients that contain a lot of dairy. Throughout history, many individuals have been instructed to drink milk and eat dairy products in order to soothe gastrointestinal complications. However, it has recently been established that these types of products are commonly associated with issues such as constipation, gas, bloating and heartburn. If you suffer from acid reflux, it is important to only consume dairy in a careful manner to reduce discomfort.

• When studying up on acid reflux foods to avoid, you will often find that there are many types of meats that should be avoided. Many of these meats contain a lot of fat. In addition to this, there are many natural oils contained in the meats that may increase the amount of acid in the stomach. Meats that are safe to consume are chicken and fish that is considered to be fresh. Avoid all other meats if possible. If you often experience heartburn, it is important to take steps to reduce your experience with the complication. One of the best ways to do this is to make a list of acid reflux foods to avoid. By following the guidelines contained in this guide, you will find that you experience success in doing that.

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Why Heartburn Is Such A Problem For So Many People

All you have to do is turn on your TV set and before long you will be hit by one heartburn commercial after another. Some of these products are over-the-counter solutions and others are available only by prescription. All promise near miraculous results. But…if they really worked there would not be a heartburn epidemic. One is left to wonder why heartburn is such a tremendous problem and why it continues to affect more and more people.

Yes, I used the word "epidemic" to describe the heartburn problem. Actually…the more accurate term should be "pandemic" because it is more than a just a U.S. problem.

So how big is the heartburn problem? According to the Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health, digestive problems are the top health concern in North America. Compare this finding with the fact that a century ago the digestive problems that we experience today didn't even exist. Digestive problems are the number one cause of hospitalization, surgery, and disability in the United States affecting some 65 million Americans.

Wow. The number 1 health problem and there is a ton of money being thrown at it. It is estimated that in untreated individuals, the cost of heartburn is considered to be over $10,000 a year in terms of lost quality of life. Some premium heartburn prescriptions can cost the uninsured almost $2,500 a year, leading to an out-of-pocket burden of over $50,000 over a 20-year period. Furthermore, American businesses lose about $100 billion per year on lost productivity because workers aren't performing due to lost sleep due to nighttime heartburn.

Let's face it. Heartburn is big business. So there is little likelihood that heartburn will be eradicated. Why? Because curing it would shut down a multi-billion dollar industry. So the best we can hope for is relieving and controlling the problem. I know that sounds like gloom and doom but that's the way it is.

Heartburn has become a massive problem because of our modern lifestyle and diet. We overeat…and what we do eat fuels the problem. We are obese, fail to get adequate exercise, and consume chemicals to solve our physical and emotional problems.

When your problem escalates to the point that you have to get a doctor involved there are some very effective drugs for treating the problem. However, when prescribing the medication your doctor will also give you a speech about the need for a change in lifestyle and diet…which reflects directly back on the heart of the problem. "Lose weight, get exercise, and change your diet. Eliminate greasy, fatty, and spicy foods. Avoid chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol." Listen closely…because those words not only address what needs to be done to get heartburn and its related symptoms under control…they are also words that clearly tell us how heartburn got to be such a serious problem.

It is easy to see why heartburn affects so many people and it is equally easy to figure out what needs to be done to fix the problem. Unfortunately, we really don't want to do what is necessary to make it right. But…the answer is there if we really want it

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Heartburn Natural Remedies - Effective Alternative To Conventional Drug Based Medication

Are you concerned about the medication that you are taking to control your heartburn? If so, should you consider the potential safer, healthier alternative that heartburn natural remedies offer? Read on and you could be convinced that there is a much more effective way to get relief from your problem that does not rely on any drugs whatsoever.

Occasional heartburn is normally just an inconvenience and most people suffer an attack every now and then. However, when heartburn attacks become regular, not only can they be extremely distressing, they can actually lead on to very serious health problems.

This has resulted in a huge range of prescribed or over-the-counter medication available to heartburn sufferers, the majority of which are drug based.

But, in recent times however, frequent reports concerning the adverse potentially harmful effects of taking drug based medication on a regular basis has encouraged many people to look at alternative ways to get that all important relief from their problems.

Consequently there has been an upsurge in interest in alternative natural remedies and treatment for heartburn. Sufferers have discovered that they offer equal if not more effective relief without producing these side effects so, more and more of them are now choosing natural treatment in preference to conventional medication.

We are told by the medical experts that heartburn cannot be cured and the best we can do is to control it with some drug based medication. But this is simply untrue. There is a great deal of evidence which demonstrates that there are many forms of totally natural treatment that will produce effective and long term relief from heartburn.

Common medications such as Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid and Protonix all work by reducing the amount of stomach acid that your stomach produces. But there is a very important flaw in this type of treatment - you are only treating the symptoms of heartburn and not dealing with what is causing heartburn in the first place.

Furthermore, stomach acid is essential for effective digestion to take place. Reducing the amount of acid produced. long term must have potentially serious health implications.

Is it any wonder, therefore, that so many sufferers are turning away from conventional medication in favour of natural treatment. There is a great deal of information available online supporting the benefits of heartburn natural remedies and treatment. To deal with all of them would require a book, not an article, so here let's briefly look at three fundamental ways that heartburn can be effectively treated.

(1) Diet - learn what foods can trigger your heartburn and avoid them. Eat smaller more regular meals, include apples and drink plenty of water.

(2) Lifestyle - take care of your weight, exercise regularly, quit smoking, reduce or limit alcohol consumption and find ways to reduce stress levels.

(3) Natural Medication - you can choose herbal or homeopathic medications as an alternative to conventional types.

The most important advantage of taking a natural approach to solving your problem is that you identify and deal with the factors that are causing your heartburn and not simply dealing with the symptoms. So, much more effective than just reducing stomach acid production.

One final thought, if you were to combine the most effective elements of each of the above forms of treatment into a holistic program of therapy, how effective would that treatment be?

Of course this is just scratching the surface of the possibilities offered by choosing heartburn natural remedies. Hopefully it will encourage you to investigate further.

Natural Heartburn Remedies That Offer Permanent Relief

Most conventional treatments for heartburn are temporary because they treat the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. So, if you want to successfully and permanently rid yourself of your heartburn then you must address all the factors that contribute to the problem i.e. you must treat it holistically.

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Alternatives To GERD Medications

Acid reflux and GERD are essentially the same condition. Therefore, when we are talking about GERD medications we are also making reference to acid reflux medications.

There are several reasons to look at alternative methods for controlling severe heartburn symptoms. One is that some people want to avoid pharmaceuticals altogether. A second is that... long term use of GERD medications is addictive and even potentially harmful.

Unfortunately, when you enter into the world of alternative remedies you open up a new set of difficulties. There are numerous recommended solutions, schools of thought, and limited legitimate research. In many cases, the only way that you can know if something is going to work is to use yourself as the guinea pig.

In regard to acid reflux and heartburn, a simple internet search for natural remedies will uncover hundreds of possibilities. Some of recommended solutions appear illogical. For example, apple cider vinegar is one of the highest rated natural remedies. Besides the fact that vinegar tastes bad (by itself), it is also highly acidic. Pouring acid on acid doesn't seem to make much sense. But there are many advocates who sing the praises of apple cider vinegar. Personally, I tried it, and it didn't work for me. Based on the experience of others who swear by it, there is a possibility that it will work for you. If you can get by the taste... give it a try.

Closely related to apple cider vinegar is... pickle juice. Now, since pickles are made in a variety of ways the question arises, "What kind of pickle juice?" Pickle juice advocates strongly favor juice from fermented pickles. I didn't know there was such a thing... but I'll take their word for it. Yet other suggest dill pickle or sweet gherkin juice. And if you can't stand drinking the stuff straight... just suck on a pickle... or eat one. So they claim.

Likely a more long term natural fix will require a change in diet. The idea is to keep your system in a proper alkaline to acid pH balance. What we eat controls that balance and most of us, due to our highly acid modern diets, are leaning too heavily on the acid side of the scale.

For these diet changes to work you must decrease the consumption of acidic triggers like chocolate, caffeine, sugar, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages. Also troublesome are greasy, spicy, and fatty foods. Alkaline foods are pretty much all vegetables and they are best consumed raw. Raw vegetables provide you with powerful enzymes that are necessary for good digestion.

Since I am on the subject of diet... it is important to recognize that obesity is one of the biggest contributors to GERD. If you have a weight problem then you can anticipate that acid reflux goes along with it. I know that it's easier said than done, but losing weight is one of the most effective natural cures for heartburn that you will find.

Apples are also often recommended as a natural remedy for reflux. They are high in enzymes and can help soothe the fire in your belly.

One of the first natural remedies suggested to me actually came from my grandmother. She believed in the effectiveness of baking soda. Many people concur with her recommendation. Again, it's not a cure-all but it may give you that immediate relief you seek.

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What Is Heartburn and Acid Reflux, and How Can We Beat It?

For a medical malady as common as heartburn, it is surprising to us just how misunderstood it can be by so many people. The answer to the question of how acid reflux can be beat will lie directly in how well it is understood. That old adage about knowledge being power applies very well to this situation, and we hope to not only provide that knowledge, but explain why self-education is an important first step in the defense against heartburn.

This article will provide only a brief overview of the facts you should know. For more in depth-analysis on any of the topics covered in this article, check out the web that has more detailed articles on pretty much every area concerning heartburn, the causes of heartburn, the symptoms of heartburn, and most importantly- effective acid reflux treatments.

Discovering the Cause of Heartburn

The first step in defeating heartburn is to discover the cause of the heartburn. There are many different factors that can cause the familiar burning in the chest, sour taste in the mouth, and the common symptoms associated with acid reflux and heartburn. The most common causes of heartburn are:

• Fatty and greasy foods
• Large meals
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Pregnancy
• Spicy or unfamiliar ethnic foods
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Drinking alcohol
• Caffeine
• Laying down too soon after eating

The web can give you some more insight as to why these common causes of heartburn tend to trigger acid reflux. Once you know what is causing your acid reflux, you will be one step closer to getting rid of it.

Treating Your Heartburn

Just as the people who experience heartburn are different beyond measure from each other, the treatments for heartburn are also varied. There is no one-size-fits-all GERD treatment, no matter what those commercials for antacids want you to think. The right treatment for you and your acid reflux will likely vary from the treatment that will be right for your neighbor. Here are the different forms of acid reflux treatments available.

• Natural or Herbal treatments
• Over the counter medications
• Changes in diet
• Prescription medications
• Simple lifestyle changes
• Dietary supplements

Some people will need only one of these treatments while other may have to employ a combination of two or more. For more detailed information on each of these acid reflux treatment options, check out the web. It will provide you will articles centered around each of these items so you can make a more educated decision on the best GERD/heartburn treatment for you.

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