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Acid Reflux and Heartburn at Night Time If you suffer from acid reflux and heartburn, you know how bothersome and sometimes painful the condition can be. It is estimated that as much as ten percent of the population suffers from acid reflux. The condition is also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. Many patients who suffer from acid reflux seem to do so on a lifetime basis. This means that once you have been diagnosed as having GERD, it’s very likely that you’ll deal with the condition for the rest of your life, although the severity of the symptoms may vary from time to time. For many patients, acid reflux and heartburn is most commonly felt at night. Patients may even feel the need to wake up, get up and take something for the pain and discomfort. There are many reasons why acid reflux and heartburn are felt during the nighttime. First, during the day, people will be swallowing constantly. This forces any acid to go back down. However, at night, a person won’t be swallowing as much given that he is asleep. Also, being in an upright position helps. Gravity and the position of the person cause the stomach acids to go back down in the stomach area where it belongs. On the other hand, when a person is lying down, it’s much easier for the stomach acids to flow back up towards the esophagus. To help alleviate this, it’s best to sleep on your side or at an incline. If you feel sleepy in the afternoon, consider napping on a chair recliner. If you prefer to sleep on the bed, make sure your head is elevated and positioned higher than your stomach. One way to do this is to use an acid reflux wedge pillow to help keep your body in the proper position. Another factor that contributes to acid reflux and heart burn at nighttime is that many people often skip lunch and make up for it by eating a heavy dinner. Eating a heavy dinner is a major reason why people suffer from these conditions especially at nighttime. This is especially troublesome for those who enjoy eating a late dinner or a midnight snack. More gastric pressure is needed to digest the food, when you should actually be winding down to sleep. This is the reason why it is recommended patients who suffer from this condition have a light dinner instead. Another option is to spread your meals throughout the day since eating small meals is less stressful for the digestive system than having to consume one big meal in one sitting. Also, you need to eat no later than two to three hours before bedtime. This allows your body ample time to digest the food. Avoiding food triggers can also help. If you’re having dinner and suffer from acid reflux and heartburn, you may want to skip that glass of wine. In patients with GERD, alcohol can create a more acidic environment, causing discomfort or pain. Citrus and spicy foods can also aggravate the condition, especially if consumed at night. There is natural remedies and relief for people suffering from acid reflux and heartburn. If you eat a light dinner, avoid acid reflux food triggers, and position yourself properly, then you can sleep through the night without waking up from heartburn pain. Acid reflux natural health remedies are available for those suffering from reflux and heartburn pain, without having to continually take antacids and drugs to get rid of the symptoms. A natural nutritional health lifestyle will help with your acid reflux problems, and it will do much more for benefiting your overall long-term health and fitness: http://www.naturalnutritionalhealth.com/
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