Acid Reflux Natural Remedies - Do They Work?

I am sure you have heard of heartburn and if you have ever had it you will know how unpleasant and painful it can be. Heartburn is actually the most well-known symptoms of the acid reflux condition. This disease, known medically as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), is caused by acidic gastric juices backwashing up to the esophagus. Some people are more susceptible to GERD than others due to having a weaker Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES).

There are several other symptoms of acid reflux that you may be less aware of. These include choking feelings in the back of the throat, some regurgitation of food, nausea after eating, back pain, coughing and hoarse voice.

These symptoms can occur for the acid reflux sufferer at all times of the day but especially after consuming a meal, after exercise and when trying to sleep. There is a wide range of treatments available for acid reflux. These range from easily available antacids, to prescription drugs and in severe cases surgery to tighten the LES. However, for more and more conditions including acid reflux people are turning to natural remedies since they can have a similarly beneficial effect but without the unwanted side effects of drugs.

One piece of advice when trying and kind of remedial action against a condition is to try and stick to one remedy at a time. Then try to keep note of how effective it was at resolving your acid reflux. The reason for this is that if you try many natural remedies at the same time you may not know which was actually the one that had the most effect in eliminating your acid reflux.

As I said, it is often that acid reflux can be at its worst during the night when you are trying in vain to get a good night's sleep. This can be extremely disruptive and have a knock-on effect to the next day if you are unable to sleep well. The best home remedy to avoid acid reflux during the night is to stop eating at least 3 hours before you plan to go to sleep. Also, try and only drink water in this time and certainly avoid caffeine, fizzy and alcoholic drinks.

However, perhaps due to other commitments such as work it is difficult for you to regulate your eating schedule in this fashion. If this is the case, then you can try the natural remedy of sleeping on your left hand side. Also, sleeping with your head elevated up to 10 inches has been proven to be a good home remedy for resolving the problem of acid reflux during the night.

These are just some of the many home remedies you can try to relieve acid reflux. As I said, the key to finding the best ways to treat your acid reflux is to stick to one remedy at a time and keep a journal so you can compare and discover the most effective methods.