Acid Reflux Relief Without Medication

Acid reflux, GERD, and heartburn all plague sufferers with a burning sensation that rises from your chest and up your throat, sometimes to the back of your mouth. Not only is it uncomfortable, but these maladies can also cause more serious health problems. And these uncomfortable conditions are a sign of another problem that needs to be corrected in the digestive process. Read on to learn about acid reflux treatment without medication.

When You Have Heartburn, You’ll Do Anything To Put Out The Fire

If you suffer from any of these acid-burning conditions, then you probably have a medicine cabinet full of PPIs or other acid inhibitors or acid neutralizers. My drug of choice was Tums, but maybe you use Prilosec, Tagamet, Prevacid, Zantac, Maalox, etc. If you are becoming more and more dependent on these treatments to manage heartburn type distress, stick with me. I’m about to flip your treatment method on its head! Read on for Acid Reflux Treatment without medication.

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or registered dietitian. I do not claim to cure any cause, condition or disease. I do not provide medical aid or nutrition for the purpose of health or disease and claim to be a doctor or dietitian.

This is merely an opinion blog. The information held on this blog is merely the opinion of a laymen individual.

This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase via the links in this post, I may receive nominal compensation. The thoughts and commentary in this post are my honest opinion and I only promote products that I believe in.*

Heartburn, Reflux, GERD, and indigestion (in MOST people) are almost always a result of too little stomach acid, not too much!!

Since the root of the problem here is stomach acid making its way into the esophagus, let’s discuss how it is even possible to have too little stomach acid. It doesn’t make sense, does it?

Stomach acid has a very important role in our digestion. The food we eat must be broken down in the stomach into a soupy consistency before entering the small intestine for further nutrient extraction. If stomach acid is at a healthy level, then your last meal is broken down in the stomach fairly quickly and then is sent on to the next step of the digestive process. A low amount of stomach acid creates new problems. Food isn’t getting broken down properly, or swiftly so it sits in your stomach longer. This undigested food is waiting unused until it moves on through your system.

The Problem With Low Stomach Acid

1. The intestines don’t know how to handle the food substance being sent. The particles are too large to be absorbed and extracted for use throughout the body. This is a chief reason for IBS, intestinal distress, or “leaky gut”.

2. Malnourishment – you may be eating a healthy diet, but without enough stomach acid, you are not absorbing the valuable vitamins and minerals. Instead, they are passing through your system and your body processes are being shorted their fuel.

3. If your stomach isn’t producing enough acid to break down the food in your stomach, your stomach remains full for too long and the little stomach acid you produce floats to the top of the stomach and finds a way out of the stomach and into your esophagus. You now have heartburn.

Here is something to consider, our bodies need stomach acid to digest food. As we age, our eyesight declines, our bones get weaker, we lose muscle mass, our skin loses elasticity… and, the amount of stomach acid we produce naturally declines. If too much stomach acid causes indigestion, then why don’t young people experience more than older people? Maybe you know the feeling of a bloated, gassy, or too-full feeling stomach frequently. Ask yourself, “Why is too much acid causing havoc on your esophagus but can’t manage to break down the food in your stomach?”

(If you want to learn more about the science of stomach acid, I urge you to check out the book, Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You, Natural Relief From Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux & GERD by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Lane Lenard, Ph.D. They lay out a thorough protocol for acid reflux treatment without medication.)

Hopefully, I’ve convinced you to learn more, or at least ditch your heartburn recommendations for a new treatment that will help you heal your acid reflux discomfort. Acid reflux and heartburn left untreated can progress to GERD or worse. Surgery and other extreme treatments may be required left unchecked. So let’s get busy designing a plan to fix your digestion and cure your acid reflux.

Steps To Relieve Your Acid Reflux Without Medication

1. Stop taking acid-reducing drugs. They are making the problem worse. (Always talk to your doctor first before stopping or starting any new medications.)

2. Avoid the foods and drugs that are symptomatic for you. Here is a list of common culprits. (Adapted from the book, Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You…) You may find it very beneficial to keep a log of what you ate before you got acid reflux. You will start seeing a trend and know what foods you need to avoid.

1.Foods – Fats, chocolate, Coffee, Mints, Sugar, Alcohol, Onions, Food Allergies/Sensitivities, Citrus fruits and juices, Tomato-based foods, Spicy foods, and Carbonated drinks (If you are unsure what is causing your acid reflux problems, check out this post.)
2. Drugs – Cigarettes, Bronchodilators, NSAIDs, Calcium channel blockers, Beta-blockers, Diazepam, Nitrates, Demerol, Aspirin, Tetracycline, Quinidine, Potassium chloride tablets, Iron Salts

3. Eat smaller meals

4. Try to lose some weight

5. Minimize activities or exercise that induce heartburn. Personally, I become symptomatic doing up and down movements in my workout, aka – burpees. I wonder if this blog post will excuse me from doing burpees in my exercise class? Haha

6. Wear loose-fitting clothing. Restrictive clothing puts extra pressure on your stomach and inhibits digestion.

7. Limit food intake prior to bedtime.

8. Elevate your head 4 to 8 inches in bed.

Once you’ve identified the culprits of your acid reflux, you will go a long way in reducing your symptoms. If you are still feeling the effects of indigestion, here are a few additional steps.

1. Try digestive bitters. Bitters taken prior to your meal, encourage the stomach to begin producing acid in anticipation of the meal coming its way.

2. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar taken early in the meal can also help. Take 1 -2 tbsp in some water or as a shot.

3. Digestive enzymes – there are several on the market that you can try. Papaya enzymes have helped me greatly. Most digestive enzymes are taken with food or immediately after a meal. I like these papaya enzymes because I can also take them as needed when I am awakened by a burning sensation in the middle of the night. (Please note: If you use a pancreatic enzyme supplement only use them for a max of 3 months to avoid a negative feedback loop. A negative feedback loop means that when the body is getting enough of what it needs in the form of hormones, enzymes, etc. the body thinks it doesn’t need to produce these itself any longer. Your goal is to support your body until it starts making enough stomach acid and enzymes for digestion on its own again. Working with an FNTP, like myself, can help you create the right protocol for nutrients and timing.)

4. If you are still suffering in spite of trying all of these tips, you should have a stomach acid test. It is possible that you are an extra special individual that does indeed have high stomach acid.

5. If your stomach acid does not come back high after testing, you can work with your doctor, dietician, or wellness practitioner and take HCl with Pepsin to add additional acid to your stomach and promote digestion and food absorption.

6. If all else fails, you must go to a doctor that will use a holistic approach for acid reflux treatment and continue working with him for a solution.

This post was inspired by my own suffering from acid indigestion. I’ve researched the causes, symptoms, and treatment. I now have a plan of action that I have started to see positive results with so far. I hope that this information and these tips will help you to heal your digestive system and avoid further damage to your body.
If you are looking for more answers, please message me and I will be happy to guide you to more answers and directions.

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