The Pillow And Position Remedy For Acid Reflux
Food consumed normally travels down to the intestines from the stomach, with the aid of digestive acids and muscle contractions. In the case of people who suffer from acid reflux, the matter travels back up to the esophagus. The acids in the matter affect the membranes of the esophagus and throat causing discomfort and pain in the chest and abdominal regions. Other problems such as dyspepsia, vomiting, regurgitation and affected respiration can also manifest.
Acid reflux is a problem that becomes chronic once it has manifested in a person. Though medical treatment is effective, it normally treats the symptom and not the disease. This results in repeated attacks of heartburn and consequent repeated medical attention.
It is quite a normal occurrence, even for people without the disease of acid reflux, for the contents of the stomach to occasionally back up into the esophagus. For the diseased however, the acid content is much higher than for normal people, and this excess acid in the esophagus is the one that causes discomfort for long periods of time.
Nature has provided us with inbuilt mechanisms to tackle the harmful effects of acid reflux. One such mechanism is the saliva produced by glands in the mouth. Saliva contains bicarbonate and this passes through the esophagus when we swallow food. Bicarbonates can neutralize acids left over from earlier food intake.
It has been observed that instances of reflux don't usually happen during the daytime, when people are mostly in upright positions. Gravity minimizes reflux, as the contents of the stomach tend to stay down. When awake, we also tend to keep swallowing saliva, which also helps in keeping the effect of acids in the throat, under check.
Swallowing saliva and gravity only works when we are in an upright position. When we are prone, during sleep, such protection ceases as production of saliva is reduced and the pull of gravity gets dispersed. This is why, when acid reflux takes place during the night, the discomfort is more severe in the esophagus as the acid stays longer there causing irritation.
The pregnant and the obese are more vulnerable to acid reflux. Higher levels of hormones during pregnancy and high levels of fat in the obese induce acid reflux due to the reduced pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. This is a valve like structure that prevents the contents of the stomach from reentering the esophagus. It malfunctions when the pressure is reduced allowing the food to go back up. Moreover, in the case of pregnancy, the pressure from the fetus developing in the womb can also cause the same.
One simple natural method, among many, to minimize acid reflux is positional therapy. This simply means that the head and torso are in an elevated position when sleeping. All that it takes are a few additional pillows to raise them by about six to eight inches from normal. Research has shown that this is a very effective method to reduce the impact of acid reflux.
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