A generous gap between meal-time and sleep can avoid acid reflux
GERD AND HOMOEOPATHY
The stomach is the primary area of the system that breaks down the food ingested; but there are certain conditions that causes a “reflux” of the food substances of the stomach juices upwards and if that happens consistently or more than twice a week it is called as GERD or Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
Heartburn is the primary concern of any patient suffering with this condition. Some also complain of feeling of fullness and heaviness on eating a little and wake up in the middle of the night with pain or a burning sensation of the pit of the stomach and seek something cold to soothe their problem. Unexplained cough with no evidence of the nasal or the lung issues does mostly point out to the acid reflux causing it which also can sometimes show up as hoarseness of voice in some patients.
The lining of the stomach produces acids that help in breaking down the proteins in the food and its lining has an insurance cover against the corrosive nature of the acid in the form of an alkali that is produces on a regular basis to neutralize the acids. All seems to be well but in certain cases there is a reflux of the foods eaten or the stomach juices back into the food pipe. As such the oesophagus is protected by a muscular ring at the location where it opens into the stomach called as the lower oesophageal sphincter that does not allow the stomach contents to go astray. But somehow in conditions like hiatal hernia or the oesphagus jutting into the stomach this reflux becomes imminent. If obese people are more affected by this condition it is probably because of the back-pressure exerted on the stomach contents and also in pregnant women who could fall prey to this condition. Caffeine, citrus, chocolate, mint flavourings, spicy foods, salsa, chilli, garlic, onion laced foods, fatty and fried foods can all spruce up the issue by influencing production of more acids that can worsen the reflux.
Surprisingly no age is spared from the issue as the infants even within one year of age can be prone as the muscular sphincter remains in the forming stage and allows the food back into the oesophagus. Elderly are more prone and even the middle aged individuals in the thick of stresses and strains of life are only calling for trouble beginning with this condition.
Homoeopathic medicine has excellent remedies like Natrum carb , Natrum phos , Mag carb , Bryonia , Lycopodium , Chelidonium , Ac. Sulph which can help in relieving the excessive production of the acid and soothe the oesophagus to normalcy all this while certain lifestyle changes are made in eating habits and also in the form of giving a generous gap between meal time and going to bed which can prevent the reflux.
