10 Treatments That’ll Help Relieve Your GERD Symptoms

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) tends to bring on a lot of discomfort in the form of relentless heartburn, indigestion, chest pain, and other particularly unpleasant symptoms. But luckily you don’t have to suffer in silence as there are several treatments that you can try at home to help you ease your symptoms. Now let’s get into what they are so you can talk to your doctor as soon as possible about the most appropriate treatment plan for you!

Over-the-Counter Antacids – Antacids are a great first option for controlling your GERD symptoms. They work to neutralize stomach acid, in turn relieving heartburn and indigestion. They typically come in the form of liquid, chewable, or water-soluble tablets. Some of the most well-known antacids are Tums, Rolaids, and Alka-Seltzer, but be sure to ask your doctor first about taking these medications if you experience heart or kidney failure. If antacids don’t seem to be working for you, luckily there are stronger prescription medications available that you can try. Stay tuned to see what those are…

Foaming Agents – Foaming agents (such as the brand Gaviscon which contains alginic acid) work to treat GERD symptoms by covering your stomach with a thick layer of foam so that the contents of the stomach cannot enter the esophagus, and therefore cannot result in acid reflux. Unfortunately this medication only works on acid currently in the stomach and does not prevent acid production. Foaming agents come in either chewable tablet or liquid form, and are typically taken after meals or right before bedtime.

Prescription Proton-Pump Inhibitors – If over-the-counter medications don’t seem to be relieving your GERD discomfort, talk to your doctor about starting a prescription medication. In particular, proton-pump inhibitors help to drastically reduce the amount of stomach acid produced and are the most potent of all acid secretion inhibitors available. Proton-pump inhibitors are generally safe, but some (most notably Omeprazole) come with adverse side effects including nausea, headache, abdominal pain, dizziness, and fatigue. Doctors typically recommend that patients use these medications at the lowest-possible effective dose and discourage long-term usage and dose increases whenever possible.

Prokinetics – Prokinetic agents help to both strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter and empty the stomach faster, meaning there will be less time for acid reflux symptoms to develop. Prokinetics are typically prescribed along with other GERD medications like proton-pump inhibitors or H2 blockers. However, they’re usually only prescribed for the most serious of GERD cases as they have several dangerous side effects, including muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, and drowsiness. Be sure to talk to your doctor first to weigh the risks and benefits of taking a prokinetic agent!

Weight Loss – Losing weight can be beneficial to one’s health for a whole host of reasons. For those who are already overweight, even losing just 10 pounds can result in improved blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars. Being significantly overweight can leave the sufferer with a condition known as a “hiatal hernia,” which is when the upper portion of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm, leading to stomach contents and acid being pushed up into the esophagus.

Quit Smoking – Of course you already know that smoking is bad for your health for a variety of reasons, but quitting cigarettes can help relieve your GERD symptoms significantly. For starters, this is because smoking often accompanies activities like drinking coffee or consuming alcohol, which are heartburn-inducing in their own right. Secondly, nicotine relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, causing acid to rise up into the esophagus. And lastly, smoking stunts saliva production which can lead to heartburn, because saliva helps to counteract stomach acid.

Avoid Alcohol – Drinking alcohol can also go hand-in-hand with heartburn-causing activities like smoking cigarettes or drunkenly consuming too much greasy food. On its own, alcohol stimulates more acid and keeps it in the stomach for longer. Luckily, once a person quits (or significantly reduces) drinking, their acid reflux symptoms typically greatly resolve on their own. If you’ve found that quitting alcohol still hasn’t resolved your GERD symptoms, be sure to talk to your doctor about other treatments!

Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals – If you’re a GERD sufferer who routinely eats three square meals per day with no snacks in between, it might be time to consider changing up your mealtime routine. Instead, try consuming five small meals throughout the day, which will leave you feeling less tempted to overeat. Overeating can trigger acid reflux because it causes the stomach to remain expanded for longer than normal, and doing so over a long period of time means that the stomach loses its ability to contract properly and acid can more easily flow up into the esophagus.

Walking After Meals – There’s a whole list of reasons why walking is beneficial to your physical and mental health – one of such reasons is that it may help ease GERD symptoms. This is because walking after eating has been shown to help decrease the amount of time it takes for food to move from the stomach to the small intestines after a meal, meaning that you’ll have less heartburn. It may also help you feel more satiated, so you’ll be less likely to overeat or snack after dinner. (Not to mention your dog will appreciate it too!)

Don’t Lie Down After a Meal – If you want to avoid acid reflux symptoms, it’s important that you don’t lie down right after eating a meal. This is because lying horizontally causes the stomach acid to flow more easily back up into the esophagus. A study conducted in 2005 found that people suffering from GERD should wait approximately three hours after eating before lying down. So, if you’re someone who routinely eats dinner at 10pm, it might be time to start eating earlier to avoid those uncomfortable symptoms!