Have you ever felt a burning sensation in your neck or throat? That may possibly be a symptom of GERD. Acid reflux, or GERD, occurs when your throat, neck, chest or heart feels like it is burning in pain. The good news is you don’t need to endure it, because there are a lot of treatments for GERD. Keep reading to learn more.
What is GERD?
GERD is an acronym for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. This condition occurs as a result of acid reflux, which causes your esophagus to become painful and swollen because the acid your stomach is producing goes up through your throat. The esophagus is the long tube that attaches your mouth to your stomach, and it brings the food you eat down into your stomach, where the stomach acid helps digest it. This acid doesn’t cause your stomach pain because it has a special lining that protects it, but this lining isn’t found in the esophagus or throat.
Causes of GERD
There are some things which may increase your risk of getting acid reflux, including:
- Certain medications, like antihistamines, nitrates and calcium channel blockers
- A diet rich in garlic, onions, fatty foods, caffeinated drinks, citrus, spicy stuff, etc
- Immediately eating before sleeping or eating meals that are too large
- Very fast weight gain, hiatal hernia, diabetes, pregnancy and other medical conditions.
- Being overweight, drinking, smoking, slouching and having a generally poor lifestyle.
Symptoms of GERD
GERD can be very painful. After all, your body is essentially eating itself up. Some symptoms of the condition include:
- Sudden acid reflux, or essentially vomiting the food that you have swallowed
- Feeling like your chest is on fire, or the burning sensation spreading to your throat and causing your mouth to taste bitter with bile
- Sudden discomfort in the chest area.
- A very dry and insistent cough that has no clear cause.
- having a hard time swallowing food, even water
- A sore throat
If you experience these symptoms, you might need treatment to relieve the pain. Seek your doctor’s opinion on how to solve the problem safely and easily.
Natural Treatments for GERD
Looking for the best GERD treatment? It’s easy. The best cure for GERD is changing your lifestyle. Here are some of the natural ways to deal with GERD.
Take Vitamin D. To prevent your esophagus from being ruined by stomach acids, take foods and supplements that are rich in vitamin D, which helps create peptides to eliminate infections in the body.
Balance your Acid Levels. Our body naturally produces hydrochloric acid to digest the foods we eat. However, too much of this acid may cause GERD, so you need to balance your body’s acid levels. Maintaining alkalinity will cancel out excessive acid in the stomach and prevent GERD.
Stop Smoking. Not only will smoking cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol and lung cancer, it may also contribute to the occurrence of GERD.
Change your Diet. Diet plays a role in acid reflux, which is why you need to change the way you eat, the amount you eat and the things you eat.
Get Exercise. Almost all health issues can be solved by getting proper daily exercise. Exercise can encourage the heart to pump extra blood and oxygen through the body, thus improving organ function and reducing the chances of having GERD.
Simple changes in your lifestyle can help you get rid of GERD. Try the above-mentioned treatments to recover the comfort of a GERD-free life.
Conclusion
You don’t need to endure the sudden pain in your throat or chest. Start fighting GERD before it becomes a more serious condition. There are several natural treatments available that don’t cost a lot of money, including small lifestyle changes.
