Introduction
Gastric burn, also known as gastroesophageal acid reflux, occurs when the stomach content leaks out of the stomach and into the esophagus, throat, and mouth. It usually happens when the lower esophageal sphincter muscle stops working correctly. The function of this muscle is to tighten after swallowing and prevent digestive juices from entering the esophagus. There are naturopathic solutions to treat gastric burns.
What Are the Symptoms of Gastric Burn?
The symptoms of gastric burn include a feeling of a lump in the throat which causes difficulty in swallowing, a burning sensation in the chest that radiates to the arm, a bitter taste in the mouth, regurgitation of food, breathing issues, hoarse voice, sore throat, vomiting, and bad breath.
Why Consider a Natural Method for Gastric Burn?
Ranitidine, an antacid used to treat gastric burn, tends to break down into a cancer-causing agent. Other popular drugs, such as proton pump Inhibitors, are associated with everything from cognitive medicine and osteoporosis to early death and are also known to have less acid in the stomach, allowing bacterial overgrowth. They are more likely to develop pneumonia and bacterial infections in hospital settings. Therefore, naturopathic methods are chosen over pharmaceutical drugs to treat gastric burns.
What Are the Naturopathic Approaches for Gastric Burn?
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Consume an Anti-inflammatory Diet: Foods consumed extensively impact the symptoms. Food that can control gastric burn is oatmeal, green leafy vegetables, ginger, healthy fats including flax seeds, olive oil, and avocado, high fiber foods, herbal tea, broth-based foods, and alkaline foods such as banana, melon, and fennel. Foods that should be avoided as it causes are spicy food, fried foods, caffeine, and food with high acid content.
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Slippery Elm: Trees such as slippery elm, otherwise known as red elm, whose bark can be used for medical purposes as the bark contains the substance known as mucilage. This slippery elm is available in various forms, such as powder, capsule, and lozenges. This substance, when mixed with water, forms a gel. This gel can be used to reduce inflammation. It also stimulates mucus production. This will, in turn, help to protect against excess acid production. While using this slippery elm may impact the absorption of other medications.
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Licorice Root Usage: Licorice root helps produce mucus which helps protect against acid. Licorice has a long-term adverse effect on blood pressure.
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Managing Stress: Higher levels of stress and anxiety can lead to worsened symptoms of gastric burn. Therefore, it is essential to manage the stress level by using relaxation techniques such as meditation, exercise, sleep well, and staying away from people, places, and situations that increase your stress level.
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Melatonin Supplements: Melatonin plays a role in the secretion of stomach acid as it is shown to decrease acid levels in the stomach. It also helps to improve the quality of sleep.
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Use of Probiotics: Probiotics help create healthy bacteria in the gut, which builds up the number and variety of healthy bacteria in the gut. This helps to reduce gastrointestinal discomfort and embarrassment socially with belching and burping.
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Lifestyle Changes: Symptoms of gastric burn can be relieved by lifestyle changes such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, not lying directly after eating, and eating in small portions.
Conclusion
The naturopathy approach can be a quick, effective, and affordable way to treat a gastric burn. This approach carries a low to no side effect profile. Lifestyle changes or small changes in the diet can help relieve gastric burn symptoms. It helps to limit pharmaceutical exposure and its commonly known side effects.
