Gastroesophageal reflux disease also known as Acid reflux is a chronic condition in which, stomach content rise upto oesophagus resulting in symptoms like acid taste at the back of the mouth, sour belching, heartburns, a kind of pressure in the chest or pain in the chest.
Why and how it happens!? After swallowing food enters the oesophagus, a tube like structure. This tube is connected with the stomach which is a muscular bag at the junction of oesophagus and stomach there is a valve which in normal individuals closes completely. But in certain individuals, this valve closes loosely or incompletely. So, the food which is now mixed up with concentrated acid in the stomach comes up in reverse direction. This gives rise to all the symptoms of heart burns, regurgitation, sour eructation etc. This may give rise to recurrent irritation cough and even hoarseness of voice.
Why this valve structure is weak is not known. Obesity, hiatus hernia (slipping of the stomach bag through diaphragm) have been linked with GERD.
Now a days a very commonly seen in individuals where they keep on relating these symptoms with chronic acidity.
There are simple life style changes we can do to reduce the severity of this disorder.
- Individuals having GERD should not lie down immediately after meals at least for a few hours. Instead they can have a reclining posture.
- Always lie down your left side when you want to lie down. This posture gets the stomach exactly below the oesophagus with an acute angle which prevents food from coming up in the reverse direction.
- Do not fill your stomach completely with food. This is true for everyone. If stomach is divided into 4 quadrants, only the lower 2 should be filled with food, remaining upper two with water and air.
- Reduction of body weight especially fat around abdomen helps as excessive belly fat creates pressure effects on the internal abdominal organs.
- Avoiding eating too spicy food as it leads to excessive acidic secretions
Taking these precautions will definitely reduce the intensity of the symptoms by 30 to 40 percent.
Yet, as this is a structural problem some episodes keep on recurring which annoy the patient.at this point we can take help of homoeopathy and dilute the intensity of the symptoms with homoeopathic remedies.
Homeo remedies like Robinia, nat phos, Acid sulph and many others will help in reducing the symptoms, intensity and frequency of the episodes. Homoeo remedies will also reduce the excessive acidic secretions. Thus once the episodes are reduced, the injury to the valve due to recurrent acidic reflux is also less and ultimately inflammation of oesophagus gets reduced.
Always remember this disorder is structural as well as functional. Homoeopathy will take care of functional facet and will reduce injury to the valve. Lesser the injury, more are the chances for the improvement in the strength of the valve.
As it is the weakness of the valve, some YOGASANAS which will strengthen the joint between oesophagus and stomach can be helpful.
Asanas like PAVANMUKTASANA., PADANGUSHTHASANA will help in strengthening musculature of the food tube and the stomach.
Never think anything irreparable. With your focused efforts, faith and positive attitude everything can be transformed!