5 Strategies to Alleviate Acid Reflux
Clients often come to me with symptoms of acid reflux or GERD. As I’m not usually the first point of contact to help them address these symptoms, they are often already using conventional treatments such as antacids (like Tums), or have been prescribed medications to treat their conditions.
Sometimes although these recommendations from their other care providers can help soothe their symptoms, the root cause of their acid reflux or GERD is not being addressed so their symptoms will not ultimately be resolved. Medications and products such as antacids also have their own side effects and are best used to address acute symptoms so you can work on digestive health long term.
Holistic care providers like myself can help you find the root cause of these issues so you can ultimately find long-term relief.
Below I share natural remedies to get you on the road to digestive health.
Always collaborate with your holistic care providers and your primary care physician when adjusting any medication.
What is Acid Reflux?
Many people experience acid reflux as uncomfortable symptoms like heartburn, regurgitation, or burping. While having episodes of reflux occasionally may not be cause for concern, chronic acid reflux (reflux that occurs at least 2-3 times per week) is a red flag to seek help to find the root cause of your symptoms.
Acid Reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GER), is the backward flow (refluxing) of stomach acid into the tube that connects your throat to your stomach (esophagus). Acid reflux is typically caused by issues with the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) that result in the stomach acid and bile splashing back up into the esophagus. During an episode of acid reflux, you might feel a burning sensation in your chest (heartburn). This may occur after eating a big meal or drinking coffee or alcohol.
Sometimes acid reflux progresses to GERD, a more severe form of reflux. The most common symptom of GERD is frequent heartburn — two or more times a week. Other signs and symptoms can include regurgitation of food or sour liquid, difficulty swallowing, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain — especially while lying down at night.
The digestive tract is intended to be a one-way path, with muscles that act as doors to prevent backward movement. Stomach contents are very acidic, and our body has protective mucus in place to prevent that acid from harming the stomach while it is doing the important work of digesting your food. When this rogue acid goes backward, it can damage your esophagus by eroding the protective mucus layer, which can cause pain.
Conventional medicine offers acid-blocking medications, which can temporarily relieve symptoms but don’t solve the real problem, and may decrease stomach acid that is already low.
Stomach acid plays a very important role in proper digestion, helping you break down food and also killing off bad bacteria, yeast, and parasites. Without enough stomach acid to digest your food, it’s left sitting in your stomach leading to acid reflux.
Understanding the root cause of your acid reflux (it is different for each person) allows you to get to the bottom of it, hopefully, before you get to the bottom of your Tums bottle or need to refill your next acid reflux prescription!
Signs and Symptoms
You may already be familiar with some of the most common symptoms of reflux. Below are also some lesser known signs that you may want to look out for:
Heartburn – this is the main symptom of reflux and GERD
Asthma-like symptoms
Bitter taste – acid that has made it up to your throat leaving a bitter taste (can cause choking if extreme)
Bloating, especially in the upper abdomen
Burping – also called “dyspepsia”
Chest pain – a common symptom and feels like pressure in the chest. Can last a long time and be intense. People sometimes mistake it for a heart attack.
Coughing or Choking
Frequent hiccups
Hoarse voice
Regurgitation – A wet burp or even vomiting some of the partially digested food
Lump in your throat feeling
Nausea
Sore Throat
Why does it occur?
If you’ve had symptoms of acid reflux, you may have been told to reduce your stomach acid with diet or acid lowering medications like proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s). Excess stomach acid is only one of many causes for acid reflux and GERD and, to get long-lasting relief, you need to know which root cause is driving your symptoms.
There is no single root cause for acid reflux, and each person I see has a different reason. While you may not yet know the contributing factors to your acid reflux, there are known irritants that can cause acid reflux to worsen. Some of the many reasons behind the occurrence of acid reflux and GERD can include:
Weakened LES sphincter (lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a muscle that “closes the door” between the stomach and the esophagus)
Low or high levels of stomach acid
An imbalance of gut bacteria (Dysbiosis, including H. Pylori)
Overeating
Food sensitivities
Stress
Obesity
Physical weakness (Hiatal hernia, or a weakened cardioesophageal sphincter)
Eating on the run, not anticipating food, poor chewing causing low stimulation for gastric juices
Acute & chronic stress, and stimulants (diminish secretions needed for digestion)
Insufficient nutrients to maintain healthy stomach cells. This can be the result of stress, a nutrient-poor diet, chronic overeating, or a bacterial imbalance in the gut
Stimulation and exhaustion of HCl by eating large amounts of protein at a meal (with little else)
Some medications
Smoking and drinking alcohol
5 Strategies that Can Help
Practice Good Digestive Habits
Hypochlorhydria or low stomach acid can be the cause of reflux. The stomach plays a really important role in digestion by helping to break down our foods. It is also very important for proper functioning of the LES. When there is a lack of acid in our stomach, it can stimulate the LES to weaken allowing acid to creep up.
Increase stomach acid by practicing good digestive habits. See my blog post Simple Steps to Support Digestion to learn more.
Adjust your Diet
Adjusting your diet is one of the most important changes you can make to avoid long-term complications and restore healthy digestive function.
Eat mostly unprocessed, non genetically modified foods.
Increase fibre intake. Adequate fibre in your diet speeds up digestion and helps to regulate bowel movement.
Eat probiotic-rich foods.
Reduce refined grains and sugar consumption (cookies, muffins, crackers, pastries and doughnuts, sugary drinks, energy drinks).
Eat high-quality protein. Lean meats and plant proteins can also minimize the symptoms of acid reflux.
Avoid foods that tend to make acid reflux symptoms worse.
People with acid reflux and GERD symptoms seem to have an intolerance to multiple food items causing the sphincter to be relaxed. Common foods include:
Caffeine (Some studies suggest coffee decreases LES tone after ingestion, which can lead to GERD. A recently published meta-analysis showed no discernible association between coffee intake, GERD symptoms, or mucosal disease. However, it all comes down to the individual. If certain drinks do cause heartburn symptoms, it is likely that these foods likely play a role in your condition.)
Cow’s milk
Chocolate
Peppermint
Carbonated beverages (A meta-analysis of observational studies reported a positive correlation between carbonated beverage use and GERD symptoms to support this finding)
Tomato, and onions
Alcohol
Artificial sweeteners
Fried foods
Vegetable oils, including canola oil
Spicy foods
Consider Supplementation
In addition to eating a healthy diet of foods that help to soothe the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD, some find improvements when adding natural supplements to their diets.
These can include:
Digestive enzymes
Probiotics
HCl with pepsin
Herbal teas
Magnesium
Always check with your health care practitioner before starting any supplements, especially if you are taking medication.
When choosing supplements, choose the highest quality from a reputable store. Over-the-counter supplements are not regulated as highly as pharmaceuticals, and there are many products on the market that are not effective due to the low quality in their manufacture. It’s best to talk to a nutrition specialist before purchasing any supplements.
Other considerations to improve digestive health and minimize symptoms
Reduce Alcohol and Smoking/Vaping
Lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking, can negatively affect your health, and cause acid reflux/GERD symptoms to exacerbate.
Most studies find that drinking alcohol increases acid reflux/GERD. A published meta-analysis of observational studies reported a positive correlation between alcohol use and GERD symptoms to support this finding. A review done in 2019 found that those who drank more alcohol or drank alcohol more regularly had a greater likelihood of reflux. Alcohol consumption has been known to relax the lower esophageal sphincter allowing acidic contents from the stomach to go up into the esophagus. Cigarette smoking (emerging evidence includes vaping), can cause aggravation. A study looked at the effect of cigarette smoking on the lower esophageal sphincter pressure and it showed a reduction in pressure during cigarette smoking.Avoid eating at least 3 hours before bed. A big meal and lying down are not a good mix with acid reflux. Plan to have your largest meal at lunch and a lighter dinner. Or, plan to have an early dinner so that your digestive system has time to digest your delicious meal long before bed.
Raise the head of the bed four to six inches. Physically raising the bed, using blocks, rather than just a pillow, will help keep the acid in your stomach.
Exercise and manage stress. A sedentary lifestyle and stress worsens symptoms of acid reflux and overall disrupts digestion. Try yoga, meditation, acupuncture, art or music therapy, or whatever helps you effectively manage stress.
Eat smaller meals to allow foods to properly digest, as large meals and overeating put extra pressure on the sphincter. Take a walk after dinner to remain upright longer.
When to Seek Help
So, how do you know if you are just experiencing normal, situational reflux or if your symptoms may be caused by a condition like GERD? It really has to do with how long you've been experiencing symptoms, the severity of your symptoms, and how effective lifestyle changes have been in controlling them.
If you have been experiencing heartburn after a night out eating a large meal and enjoying some alcohol, then you’re likely to be dealing with situational reflux.
Book an appointment with you primary care physician and/or primary healthcare specialist if you experience acid reflux symptoms that interfere with your lifestyle or daily activity and last for more than two weeks and/or are experiencing hoarseness, worsening of asthma after meals, pain that’s persistent when lying down, pain following exercise, difficulty breathing that occurs mainly at night, and trouble swallowing for more than one to two days.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. None of our services are used to diagnose or treat any health problem or disease. We do not provide medical advice. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues by consulting your physician. Any information we have provided here should not be used in place of a consultation with a health care provider.