Using Pillows And Positional Therapy To Counteract Acid Reflux
Acid reflux is a chronic disease that seldom goes away once you have developed it. Acid reflux occurs after eating. After a non-sufferer of acid reflux eats, the food passes down the throat and esophagus and through a one-way trap-door into the stomach where acids start the process of breaking down the food before letting it flow on into the intestines for further treatment.
However, after a sufferer of acid reflux eats, the food goes through that trap-door, mixes with the acids and then somehow pushes against the trap-door which gives way, permitting the food and acid to re-enter the esophagus. Now, since these acids are designed to attack and dissolve tissue, this is very bad news for the sufferer as his esophagus will be attacked as well.
This acid reflux (or flow of acid) into the esophagus can cause inflammation and discomfort, dyspepsia, and regurgitation. Unfortunately, once the hinges on that trap-door have been broken and have started to allow the door to open both ways, there is little chance that they will repair themselves on their own. In fact, the likelihood are that they will simply get worse.
In truth, everyone gets a little reflux from time to time, but the acid in the sufferer is stronger and the mixture remains in the esophagus longer, which is what causes the situation to become a problem.
The body has invented a natural way of dealing with the mild acid reflux in healthy people and it is known as saliva. Saliva is alkaline, so while you swallow hundreds of times a day, your saliva counteracts the acid. Most people experience reflux after eating, which is of course usually done during the day whilst we are usually in an upright position. Swallowing saliva also occurs mostly in the daytime.
I am sure that you can see a pattern here: reflux is in the daytime when we can swallow saliva to neutralize it and when the force of gravity will impede the acid rising up from the stomach.
Most sufferers of acid reflux get difficulties at night, whilst gravity cannot help and the swallowing of saliva is at a minimum. Therefore, the acid, untreated by alkaline saliva, stays in the esophagus burning and irritating it.
The pregnant and the obese are most at risk of developing acid reflux because of the extra abdominal bulk.
So, how do you treat this chronic condition? Well, you should naturally consult your doctor, who may recommend alkaline tablets, but if you want to help yourself too, you could lose weight if you are obese; not eat late at night or even late evening; reduce the fat you consume and sleep with more pillows to raise your head and torso. You will need to experiment with these home remedies to find out what suits you.
You may find that not eating after eight is OK for you, or it may be six o’ clock. You might find that not eating meat or cheese after lunch will do it for you and you might find that raising your head six or eight inches on extra pillows at night will help too.