Are you suffering from acid reflux? Carry on reading to discover great home remedies for acid reflux to help you through the discomfort. Find out more here.
At some point, we will probably all suffer with heartburn, or that uncomfortable, sour taste in the back of our throat, and wondered what’s caused this? Acid reflux can happen for a number of reasons, and, whilst it is usually nothing to be too concerned about, it can be very uncomfortable. In this article we will be uncovering all there is to home remedies for acid reflux, so that next time you feel that burning sensation, you know what to get your hands on.
During the digestion process, the stomach uses the stomach acid to break down the foods we eat, sometimes the oesophagus has issues dealing with the stomach acid, and can become irritated by it. During the process of digestion and food consumption, the food travels down the oesophagus to the base, which is called the lower oesophageal sphincter. This acts as a valve, which when relaxed, allows the food to pass through down into your stomach. When the valve is contracted, this makes sure that the food and stomach acid doesn’t come back through the oesophagus.
However, this valve can sometimes relax, allowing stomach acid to travel up into the oesophagus, causing the sensation that we all know to be acid reflux.
Suffering from acid reflux is never a nice feeling, and there are a few things that can help you in your home that you might not even know would help. Here are four home remedies for acid reflux.
Bananas are known for their high potassium content, due to this, there have been studies to show that eating a ripe banana can counteract the irritation caused by the stomach acid in the oesophagus. However, if you eat an unripe banana, they are more likely to trigger acid reflux, as they are starch-heavy.
Having a glass of milk may seem like a strange concept, but having a glass of milk when acid reflux strikes, is said to push the unwanted stomach acid out of the oesophagus and back down into the stomach. Milks acts as a buffer to neutralise the acid at the same time as removing it. However, it is better to use fat-free skimmed milk, because the fat slows down the emptying of the stomach.
This may seem like an odd choice, but this home remedy for acid reflux has been around for many years. The way that bicarbonate of soda works is by buffering the acid in your stomach and the fizz that occurs in the stomach, triggers the action of burping, which helps release the gas.
This is another natural neutraliser. Lemon works to neutralise the stomach acid and improves the digestion. If you suffer from acid reflux regularly, then by mixing hot or warm water with lemon juice, and drinking before eating a meal, could help to reduce your symptoms. On top of helping with symptoms of acid reflux, lemon water is also a great source of vitamin C. However, make sure not to drink too much, as it can wear down tooth enamel and will increase urination.
Those are just a few items in your home that will be able to help minimise and hopefully remove you of your symptoms of acid reflux. However, if you feel as though, despite your best efforts, that your symptoms are not improving or getting worse, then you should always seek medical advice for the best next steps.
That’s all on home remedies for acid reflux. If you want to know more about foods that help with indigestion and other digestive issues, then take a look at our article about foods that help with heartburn, next.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/what-is-acid-reflux-disease
https://www.gastrolondon.co.uk/acid-reflux/home-remedies-for-acid-reflux/
