Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease usually begins with certain lifestyle changes as well as dietary adjustments, as in many cases these relatively simple changes can alleviate symptoms without the need for additional treatment.
However, if symptoms don’t improve, the gastroenterologist may recommend the use of certain medications, which can be used long-term or only during episodes of symptoms. In the most complicated cases, where even remedies fail to improve symptoms, the doctor may advise performing a surgical procedure, to try to solve the cause of reflux.
Discover the most common symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease
The main forms of treatment used for reflux include:
People with a less healthy lifestyle are more likely to develop a variety of health problems. One of these problems is the overproduction of stomach acid, which can eventually cause reflux symptoms.
Therefore, anyone who suffers from reflux, or even wants to prevent its appearance, should follow these guidelines:
Also, it is always very important that, when lying down, try to keep the bed headboard higher than your feet. To do this, you can put something under the mattress or you can place wooden blocks under the headboard’s feet. Preferably, the headboard should be raised between 15 and 20 cm.
In addition to the lifestyle changes mentioned above, there are also other simple and natural techniques that help relieve symptoms and are mainly related to diet.
Therefore, it is advisable to eat more regularly, every 3 hours for example, but with less food. This helps to keep the stomach less full and facilitate its emptying, thus avoiding reflux.
In addition, increasing the consumption of vegetables and fruits, as well as avoiding less healthy foods, such as processed foods, red meats and frying, also reduces the amount of stomach acid, alleviating symptoms. Another important advice is to regulate the consumption of certain beverages, especially those that have been closely linked to the appearance of reflux, such as soft drinks, soft drinks, coffee and alcoholic beverages.
See in more detail what the diet of people with gastroesophageal reflux disease should look like.
Most of the time, reflux medications are indicated by your doctor only as SOS, that is, for use during a reflux attack, which can occur when you consume certain types of excess food.
However, remedies can also be used for longer periods of time, especially in people with very strong and frequent symptoms. Some of the most appropriate include:
Therefore, because symptoms and causes of reflux vary greatly from person to person, remedies should always be guided by a doctor, who will evaluate your medical history and tell you the dosages and duration of medication treatment.
Learn more about the major medications used to treat reflux
In milder cases of reflux, home remedies can be an excellent natural way to relieve symptoms. Some of the most suitable are ginger tea, chamomile tea and aloe juice, for example, which can be taken when the first burning symptoms appear. Find out how to prepare these home remedies and others for reflux.
Although they are a good natural way to help relieve symptoms, home remedies should not be replaced by medications prescribed by your doctor, but should only be used as a supplement to the indicated treatment.
Gastroesophageal reflux surgery is usually used only as a last resort for treatment, in the most complicated cases where symptoms have not improved with lifestyle changes, dietary adjustments or medication use.
In these cases, the surgeon performs surgery to strengthen the esophageal sphincter to prevent stomach acid from reaching the esophagus. This surgery can be performed classically, with a cut in the abdomen, but it can also be performed by laparoscopy, in which small holes are practiced in the skin. The type of surgery should always be selected with the surgeon.
Get a better understanding of how this surgery is performed and how healing is going.