Home Remedies for GERD

GERD is an acronym for Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease. It is backflow of gastric acid into esophagus. It is also called as reflux or reflux esophagitis. Mostly elderly people above 40 are more prone to GERD. British people spell GERD as GORD because British spelling for esophagus is oesophagus.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease also known as GERD or acid reflux disease is a condition caused by gastroesophageal reflux which is caused by the stomach acid rising from the stomach into the esophagus. The anatomical part of the stomach which connects to the esophagus is called cardia. This valve functions as a one way pass that acts as a barrier preventing duodenal bile, enzymes, and stomach acid from traveling back into the esophagus which is sensitive to the same and thus preventing damage to the same.

Unfortunately Gerd or gastroesophageal reflux disease is not limited to any specific age group or gender, but can affect absolutely anyone. It is more common among older individuals and those suffering from obesity, but it can even affect small children as well. GERD in babies is in fact a fairly common condition, but identifying infant GERD symptoms and providing appropriate treatment requires a great deal of attention and expertise. GERD is not very hard to treat and when dealing with adults, most cases can be remedied by enforcing some simple GERD diet restrictions. Digestive problems like heartburn and acid reflux are common symptoms in a pregnancy and GERD treatment during pregnancy is best limited to natural methods. GERD can be prevented and even treated effectively with simple diet and lifestyle changes, but these need to be maintained. The condition may not be life threatening but can be quite disturbing as GERD causes chest pain, palpitations, phlegm, shortness of breath, sore throat and at times may even be associated with weight loss.

Symptoms for GERD

Heartburn

The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn, generally after meals. When heartburn is very frequent or causes more severe problems then it is medically called GERD.

Other Symptoms

Apart from heartburn some other symptoms of GERD are regurgitation of gastric acid or sour contents into the mouth, difficulty while swallowing anything and pain in the chest. Some GERD patients may also experience pulmonary manifestations like coughing, asthma and inflammation in vocal chords accompanied by wheezing. GERD can also cause dissolution of tooth enamel if the acid reaches the mouth. It can also cause sore throat.

Symptoms of GERD differ from adults and children. In adults, the most common symptoms being heatburn, regurtitaion(the expulsion of material from the mouth, pharynx, or esophagus, usually characterized by the presence of undigested food or blood) and trouble or pain swallowing (Dysphagia). Other known symptoms include excessive salivation (since the body tries to compensate the acidity with saliva which is alkaline), Nausea, chest pains. GERD is also known to cause complications such as chronic coughs, erosion of dental enamel, damaged teeth and in some cases sinusitis.

Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd in children babies and infants are vague and are often overlooked due to their general nature. Commonly experienced symptoms in children are;

• Problems with swallowing which often results in gagging or a feeling of gagging.

• Increase in the frequency of hiccups and burps, runny noses.

• Excessive vomiting and feeling nauseous.

• Bad breath which is cause by an increase of acids in the body.

• Sleep apnoea is often caused by acid reflux and it may also lead to a host of other respiratory disorders such as bronchitis.

Symptoms occurring in infants are;

• Irritability causing sudden crying, especially babies who can be inconsolable when laid down on a flat surface.

• Refusing food or feeds or even in some cases demanding constant feeds for comfort.

• Acidic smelling diapers with the bowel movement being at the two extremes of frequent or the baby could be constipated.

• The baby might also vomit directly after a feed but may still appear healthy and gain weight while showing no other symptoms.

• In some cases, the baby may not vomit at all, although this is worse as the contents of an acidic stomach may just go up the esophagus and back down again causing more damage.

GERD is diagnosed effectively by esophageal pH monitoring which effectively gets a physiologic measurement of the acid present in the esophagus and helps document reflux disease. Esophageal pH monitoring also helps assess the severity of the disease and is even sometimes used to diagnose laryngopharyngeal reflux. Before Esophageal pH monitoring, indwelling nasoesophageal catheter was used to measure esophageal acid exposure but his procedure was often known to cause discomfort, pain.

Causes for GERD

Lower Esophageal Sphincter Relaxes Abnormally

When we swallow any food stuff or liquid, the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes temporarily so that the food stuff or the liquid can reach the stomach. If the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes abnormally it causes gastric acid to reflux, causing heart burn. In GERD patients the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes more frequently, causing severe heart burn and other complications.

Other Causes

Sometimes obesity and pregnancy can also cause GERD.

GERD causes and symptoms are quite easy to recognize and there are specific GERD foods to avoid as they are known to trigger or aggravate the condition. Gerd can be caused by various other conditions and factors such as;

Obesity: A higher body mass index (BMI) has been observed to be directly related to a higher percentage of GERD

Various other medical reasons include;

Hiatus hernia: This is the protrusion of the stomach through usually a tear in the diaphragm into the thorax.

Visceroptosis: This condition is wherein there is a prolapsed of the abdominal viscera much below their usual positions.

Hypercalcaemia: This causes an elevated amount of calcium in the body and is also known to increase gastrin production, leading to increased acidity in the body.

Some other factors have been attributed as having contributed to GERD is Sleep apnea (characterized by pauses in breathing or abnormally low breathing) and even gallstones, although these haven’t been conclusively proved medically.

Remedies for GERD

Remedies for GERD

GERD can be prevented up to a certain degree by exercising simple steps mentioned and a few lifestyle modifications such as;

Wearing clothing that are tight around the stomach may cause acid and foods to reflux due to the pressure on the stomach.

Avoid sleeping with the head raised too high above the rest of the body as this does little to ease the situation and only puts additional pressure on the neck.

Eating excessively big meals can increase stomach acid. Also, be sure to avoid an excess of foods like acidic fruit, foods with high fat content, also foods like pretzels, coffee, tea, onions, peppermint, chocolate before bedtime and also highly spicy foods. While there is a lot of prescribed medication for GERD that is easily available over the counter, there are also many available home remedies for the same.

From the many remedies available, usually recommended remedies are

Ginger Root: Consuming ginger root extract mixed with honey is known to be a natural medication.

Cumin: Adding some cumin to your drinking water helps to stop the formation of gas in the stomach.

Skim Milk: Drinking small amounts of chilled skim milk will help ease the burning sensation of a severe acid reflux.

Lemon Balm: This is known to have certain homeopathic powers that help relax a nervous stomach

In addition to these, Peppermint and Apple Cider Vinegar in small quantities is known to help.

Remedies for Heartburn

If you experience heartburn then have a cup of vanilla ice cream to relieve yourself from the symptom. Lemons, almonds and cloves are also effective for heart burn.

Diet for GERD

GERD Diet

Avoid spicy and fried foods because they aggravate the symptoms. If possible take few small meals several times in a day, instead of large ones. Avoid alcohol, smoking, carbonated beverages, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, citrus fruits and chocolates all these contribute to GERD. Sedatives, channel blockers used for high blood pressure and tranquilizers can also aggravate the condition. Avoid orange juice on an empty stomach.

Suggestion for GERD

Other Suggestions for GERD

If GERD is left untreated then it can cause permanent damage to the esophagus. Never lie down immediately after meal. If you have severe complaint then avoid wearing tight clothes and belts. Use some extra pillows while sleeping to raise your head six to eight inches high.

GERD natural treatment can be extremely effective and typically involves minor modifications in diet and lifestyle. Long-term changes to lifestyle and diet are essential for an effective long-term GERD remedy.

Dietary Changes: Certain foods as specified above need to be avoided as they promote gastroesophageal reflux. Certain calcium carbonate based antacids were found to increase the acidity of the stomach how the net effect of the same is not as pronounced as other factors.

Lifestyle changes: Smoking needs to be avoided as smoking causes a reduction in the competence of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Avoid laying flat or sleeping about 3-4 hours directly after a meal.

Wear looser fitting clothes.