Fortunately, some of the easiest short term solutions for acid reflux are likely in your kitchen right now!
While it may contradict your intuition to take something as acidic as apple cider vinegar to cure your acid reflux, raw and organic apple cider vinegar works very to bring immediate relief to your acid reflux by facilitating digestion and restoring proper pH to the stomach. When used for medicinal purposes, organic apple cider vinegar is the best.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has been used for generations to cure digestive problems. ½ teaspoon of baking soda is added to 4-6 ounces of water and taken internally. This not only helps to neutralize the acid in your stomach, it will neutralize the acid in your throat.
Because pickle juice contains a lot of vinegar, it works similarly to apple cider vinegar. Pickle juice is more palatable than vinegar for many people and just as effective.
If you are prone to acid reflux, natural remedies to prevent reflux will help you to avoid the misery in the first place.
Probiotics promote good digestion. Taking a probiotic supplement or regularly consuming probiotic foods like kefir, kombucha or kimchi can help your digestion to work well all of the time, reducing incidents of acid reflux or other digestive problems.
Taking digestive enzymes with your food will help your food to be digested properly, preventing acid reflux attacks. While the body normally produces digestive enzymes on its own, sometimes it needs a little help, especially because aging or hormonal changes can cause a reduction in digestive enzymes.
Aloe is a gentle remedy that is helpful to a variety of digestive ills. Aloe juice or supplements can be used on a regular basis to improve your digestion.
Making some modifications in certain practices can reduce or eliminate acid reflux.
If you are overweight, losing weight can reduce acid reflux attacks. Eating less food at each individual meal will also reduce the risk of an acid attack.
Having a full stomach when you lie down in bed is a recipe for digestive distress! Have you last meal a few hours before bedtime. Resist that bedtime snack. Suck on a mint instead and then brush your teeth. You will be less tempted to eat something else if your mouth feels fresh and clean.
Chronic low grade dehydration can be a cause of acid reflux. Energy drinks, coffee, and soda may be liquids but they are not a good source of proper hydration. Add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to a quart of water and consume this throughout the day. The salt helps your body to use the water effectively in the cells instead of having it just flush through your system. Drinking more water will also help you to eat less, reducing your risk of acid reflux.
Like it or not, some foods may be the root cause of your acid reflux. Pinpointing these foods and avoiding them, or at least consuming them less often or in smaller quantities will be worth it if you feel better.
Alcoholic beverages, spicy foods, fried foods, tomatoes, chocolate, citrus fruits and juices are all common causes of acid reflux. Of course, everyone is different. You will need to pay attention to the foods you eat (keeping a log of what you eat for a week can help you make connections between certain foods and acid reflux) and plan your menus accordingly.
Over the counter medications for acid reflux may provide temporary relief but used on a regular basis can cause other health problems. Calcium carbonate, an inexpensive over the counter remedy for acid reflux, can actually cause your body to make more acid over time as it compensates for the acid reduction. It has also been linked to kidney stones.
Proton pump inhibitors have become quite popular in the treatment of acid reflux. Unfortunately, they have been linked to bone fractures, vitamin deficiency, and even pneumonia when used long term. A safer option would be to improve your health to eliminate your acid reflux. Covering up any problem with medication is not a good long term solution.
While acid reflux medication carry side effects, other medications have acid reflux as a side effect! If you take medications on a regular basis, you may need to investigate and see if one or more of them could be causing your digest problems. Pain medications, medications for anxiety and depression, and antibiotics can all cause acid reflux!
Absolutely.
If the “instant relief” remedies above do not bring you relief in short order and/or you have pain in your chest that radiates to your arm, neck, jaw or back, or if you experience dizziness, shortness of breath or cold sweats, seek immediate medical attention to rule out a heart issue.
If your bouts of acid reflux happen on a regular basis, you may have a chronic digestive disorder like GERD, hiatal hernia or gallbladder disease. It is wise to seek medical counsel to understand what you are dealing so that you can best treat it.
Have you tried a natural remedy for acid reflux? Please send us some feedback! Continue reading to learn which remedies our readers found to be effective in curing their acid reflux.