If your acid reflux and heartburn is worse at night, try raising the head of the bed. That way your esophagus is higher up than your stomach and less acid would trickle back up the wrong way. But before you start chopping off two legs of the bed, or put bricks under two others, adding another pillow or two could do the trick too.
When the muscle that is supposed to prevent stomach acid from escaping up into the esophagus gets to weak to do its job and the acid keeps on gushing back to the esophagus, that is called acid reflux. It is a lot like heart burn but a lot more uncomfortable as generally there is much more acids and pepsins pushing back to the esophagus.
Title : Indigestion: Living Better with Upper Intestinal Problems from Heartburn to Ulcers and Gallstones
Author : Henry D. Janowitz
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Very sound guide and advice for upper GI problems
In clear, jargon-free language, with healthy doses of humor and many easy-to-understand examples, the author of Your Gut Feelings and Good Foods for Bad Stomachs, Dr. Janowitz offers everything you need to know about indigestion, providing sound advice on how to avoid problems and soothing the fears of those in distress. I found this book very helpful and will be for anyone suffering from any number of gastrointestinal ailments, from Crohn's to constipation to ulcers to GERD. A very good overall guide to upper intestinal health.
Title : Stop the Heartburn: What You Can Do to Reduce Your Symptoms of One of Americas Most Common Health Problems
Author : David Utley
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Everything you ever wanted to know about your heartburn
I began searching for educational materials on heartburn after I had lived with it for several years and had poured all kinds of antiacids into my stomach. This book is very informative, explaining the causes, treatments, and even the long-range effects of continuing heartburn. It educated me to where I was able to discuss my condition knowledgeably with my physician and had no "fear of the unknown" when it came time to begin treatment.
Title : Healthy Digestion the Natural Way: Preventing and Healing Heartburn, Constipation, Gas, Diarrhoea, Inflammatory Bowel and Gallbladder Diseases, Ulcers, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and More
Author : Lindsey Berkson
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Layman's bible and more
I cannot tell you enough how good this book is - after ploughing through trees of print, here is one that just gets to the point and is interesting as well. It is also set out so that you do not have to read the first half to understand one page near the end.
Very readable, even just for information. People without problems should find the details in this text interesting and good guidance.
One of the biggest mistakes people with acid reflux make is eating late in the evening. In fact, doctors suggest that those who suffer with night time acid reflux or indigestion should not eat up to three hours before they plan to go bed.
Keep a food diary to track everything you eat and drink if you suffer from acid reflux as diet plays a part in generating stomach acid, and if the acid levels are managed and kept low then you are less likely to experience the reflux.