Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD is often torturous. How not, this stomach acid disease makes sufferers feel a burning sensation under the chest or heartburn.
The handling of GERD varies in each sufferer. Because, it will depend on the severity of the symptoms and the intensity of recurrence.
Although sufferers usually rely on medication, GERD can be cured without involving drug consumption. How to do it?
Hence, a gastroenterologist expert and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School Dr. Jacqueline Wolf recommends 9 ways to treat stomach acid without medication, here’s how:
1. Eat a little and slowly
When the stomach is full, it is vulnerable to an increase in stomach acid up to the esophagus. Therefore, you can reduce it by eating in smaller portions more frequently rather than eating in large quantities three times a day.
2. Avoid certain foods
If you have a risk of stomach acid, you are advised not to consume certain foods that can trigger it. Some foods that trigger reflux are mint, fatty foods, spicy foods, tomatoes, onions, garlic, coffee, tea, chocolate, and alcohol.
3. Avoid drinking soda
Soda drinks make you burp because of the gas it contains. It can help send acid to the esophagus. Therefore, it is better for you to drink plain water rather than soda.
4. Stay up after eating
It is recommended that you sleep three hours after eating. That means you should not take a nap after lunch, and should not have dinner or midnight snacks as it can make you sleepy and fall asleep.
5. Don’t move too quickly
After eating, you are advised not to engage in heavy exercise. If it’s just a walk, that’s fine, but not for activities that are too heavy. Moreover, activities that require you to bend, need to be avoided. Because bending can send acid to your esophagus.
6. Sleep on your side
Ideally, your head should be 6 to 8 inches higher than your feet. This condition can be done by providing an “extra high” support on the bed to support your head. Dr. Wolf does not recommend creating a blockade by stacking pillows because it will not help the condition you need.
7. Lose weight if advised
An overweight body has the potential to spread the muscle structure that supports the lower esophageal sphincter which can reduce the pressure that holds the sphincter closed. This condition can cause stomach acid to rise and heartburn. Therefore, if you are advised to lose weight, it is an option you can try.
8. Quit smoking
Nicotine in cigarettes can relax the lower esophageal sphincter. As explained above, this can cause digestive problems.
9. Check your medication
If you are taking medication, check some medications, including postmenopausal estrogen, tricyclic antidepressants, and anti-inflammatory pain relievers that can relax the sphincter. Then others, especially bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), or risedronate (Actonel), used to increase bone density can irritate the esophagus.
Those are some things you can do to relieve stomach acid besides using medication. However, if these methods do not work well or you experience more severe conditions, immediately contact a doctor to get the right treatment.
