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Acid reflux can strike at any time, with symptoms, such as heartburn usually occurring shortly after eating large meals or when lying down.  However, did you know that approximately 8 out of 10 heartburn suffers will experience nighttime symptoms?  Therefore, if you suffer from bedtime heartburn, you need to know what to do for acid reflux to help prevent symptoms from occurring.

First of all, you may be wondering why heartburn occurs at night.  There are many reasons why acid reflux is more likely to occur while you sleep, such as:
- Relaxed lower esophageal sphincter (LES) – when you sleep all of the muscles in your body naturally relax, which can encourage acid to leak into your esophagus.
- Absence of swallowing – During sleep, the swallowing reflex is inhibited.  Swallowing allows saliva to neutralize any digestive fluids that may be in the esophagus lining.
- Laying flat – laying flat in your bed enables stomach acid to easily flow into the esophagus and remain in the esophagus for a longer period of time, which can lead to heartburn.

To stop nighttime heartburn flare ups from causing damage to your esophagus, and interrupting your sleep, here’s what you can do for acid reflux relief:

1. Eat 3 hours before bedtime and eliminate foods from your diet that trigger acid reflux.   Avoid foods and beverages that are known to trigger acid reflux (I.E. high fat foods, citrus fruits, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, etc.) Do not indulge in late night snacking and make sure the last meal you eat is one of a moderate portion.  If you must have a large meal, eat a more substantial serving of food at lunchtime.   Furthermore, limit your liquid intake to water before bed.

2. Sleep on an incline.  Prop your head and shoulders up with a few pillows or a wedge pillow so that you are not lying flat on your back.  The slight slope you create with your body helps to prevent acid from traveling further up your esophagus and remaining there to initiate heartburn.

3. Sleep on your left side.  Some studies have found that sleeping on the left side can aid acid reflux nighttime prevention, as this position appears to help remove stomach acid from the esophagus.  On the other hand, sleeping on the right side has shown to make heartburn worse.

4. Sleep in loose fitting pajamas or clothes. Clothing that is constricting around your torso, especially your abdomen or waist, such as tight elastic pants, places pressure on the stomach which can force digestive contents and fluids against the LES and up into the esophagus.

5. Take an antacid before going to bed.  Although your first “what to do for acid reflux” instinct shouldn’t be to take medications, if your nighttime heartburn is exceptionally bothersome, taking an antacid or two before bed will work to quickly neutralize acid and treat your symptoms or prevent an episode from occurring.  If longer relief is necessary, an H2 blocker may be more effective.

Finally, if you are finding that the above techniques are not helping in alleviating heartburn, what to do for acid reflux at this point, is visit your health care provider for a proper diagnosis and a new treatment plan.  You may find that you are suffering from a more serious condition such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a peptic ulcer, or a hiatal hernia.

Grab your free copy of Kathryn Whittaker’s brand new Acid Reflux & GERD Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you find out what to do for acid reflux and for information on herbs for acid reflux please visit Stop Acid Reflux Now. 

Being informed about gout is essential if you want to prevent gout attacks and avoid developing other health conditions.  With this in mind, the following information has been designed to help you on your gout discovery path, and will provide you with the questions you need to explore so you can become an expert on gout.

What is the cause of gout? - In order to understand what causes any health condition or disease, you need to learn what the condition is, and how/why the condition can occur.  In the case of gout understanding that it is a form of arthritis that occurs when there is excess levels of uric acid is in the body is very beneficial. It enables you to learn what uric acid is, why the body produces it, how it can become excessive, and the steps to take to reduce the levels of uric acid in your body.

Can gout attack different areas of the body? – The most common information on gout will tell you that gout generally occurs in the joint of the big toe.  While this is true, the big toe is only one of the many regions of the body that can be affected by gout.  Gout can also occur in the joints of the elbow, wrist, hand, knee, ankle and foot.  Knowing where gout can strike, and the reasons why it may occur in other joints may help you better understand your specific condition.

What are all the symptoms of gout? – Gout has many characteristic symptoms including sudden severe pain, inflammation, redness and swelling of the affected joint.  Knowing what warning signs to watch for may help prepare you so you can act quickly with treatment if you experience a recurrent attack.

What can make gout worse? – Gout, like other ailments, can be made worse through food choices (I.E. foods high in purines such as organ meats and shellfish) lifestyle choices (I.E. smoking, limited exercise, being overweight or obese), and medications (I.E. diuretics).  It is imperative you find out what can increase your risk of a gout attack, because the more frequent your attacks, the more chronic your condition and the more complications can occur.

What can make gout better? – Learning treatment information on gout helps you to both treat present attacks and prevent future ones.  Improving gout begins with avoiding the factors that make it worse.  It also consists of eating a balanced healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising, maintaining a healthy body weight, and in some cases, taking medications such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – I.E. aspirin) or prescription drugs.  Keeping the affected joints protected and well cared for can also make a difference.  The more you know on how to improve your condition the more control you will have over gout.

What are the complications of gout?  If gout is left untreated it can progress into a more aggressive condition and become recurrent.  It can also cause tophi, nodules that form under the skin from urate crystal deposits.  In some people, gout can even lead to the formation of kidney stones.  Knowing how severe gout can be if left untreated may help you take your condition and treatment more seriously.

What precautions should I take? When researching information on gout you need to keep an open mind about the information you read.  In other words, don’t believe everything you read, and don’t make the mistake of self-diagnosing yourself!

Where can you obtain gout information?
- Your health care provider
- Health books on gout in your local library or bookstore
- Free online resources
- Cure Gout Now

Grab your free copy of Lisa McDowell’s brand new Gout Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you find out information on gout including gout home treatment options please visit Cure Gout Now.