Gastroesophageal reflux disease is an issue that affects millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the acid that is normally located in your stomach pushes up into the esophagus. When the reflux is mild, it doesn’t cause symptoms or serious discomfort. But when GERD happens frequently, it can burn the esophagus and produce unpleasant symptoms like cough, tooth erosion, and sinuses inflammation.
Most people use medications to treat and manage reflux. But some lifestyle changes can be just as effective as medications while not causing side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and headaches.
Below are 6 effective ways to relieve GERD naturally without medications.
1. Reduce your carb intake
Reducing the intake of carbs is one of the effective ways to relieve GERD symptoms. It is difficult for your stomach to digest carbs. Undigested carbs can cause bacterial overgrowth and bloating. Bloating increases the pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, making you more prone to acid reflux.
Reducing the intake of carbs can help decrease the number of gas-producing bacteria in your digestive tract and prevent GERD symptoms.
2. Quit smoking
Smoking is extremely harmful to your health, including your digestive system. Both smoking and secondhand smoking increase your risk of acid reflux significantly. Smoking relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter that prevents digestive acid from flowing back into the esophagus. When this part of your digestive system is relaxed, your risk of acid reflux increases.
Quitting smoking can help you normalize the pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter and reduce the likelihood of acid reflux.
3. Avoid overeating
Large meals can increase your risk of acid reflux. When you eat too much, this adds pressure on the already weakened lower esophageal sphincter, causing the acid and foods to squeeze through its opening. For this reason, most people experience acid reflux after meals, particularly larger meals.
Eating small portions can help you prevent acid reflux or minimize the symptoms. Instead of eating big portions three times a day, you can try eating five or six times a day but smaller portions.
4. Lose excess weight
Overweight people often have weakened diaphragm muscles. The diaphragm is a muscle that is located above your stomach and supports the lower esophageal sphincter. For this reason, when the diaphragm muscle is weakened, the esophageal sphincter cannot work as it should. This makes you more prone to acid reflux. Even several pounds of visceral fat can increase your risk of GERD significantly.
If you suffer from GERD, losing excessive weight should be one of your priorities.
5. Incorporate ginger into your diet
Ginger has a number of health benefits, including its ability to relieve GERD symptoms like nausea. Ginger has anti-inflammatory effects and may help relieve gastrointestinal irritation and inflammation. It decreases the likelihood of stomach acid returning up into your esophagus. It is important to consume not more than 1,500 milligrams daily. Higher doses of ginger may have an adverse effect.
It is easy to incorporate ginger into your diet. You can add it to the hot water to make ginger tea or boil it in a soup. Adding some raw ginger to your salad can also be beneficial in GERD symptoms treatment.
6. Limit your alcohol intake
Drinking alcohol is a major risk factor for the development of GERD. Alcohol increases the stomach acid and relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, decreasing its ability to prevent acid leakage from your digestive tract. Even healthy people may experience GERD after alcohol intake.
If you frequently experience acid reflux, it is recommended to minimize alcohol intake or even avoid it completely.
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