Tag: Indigestion

The Right and Effective Home Remedy for Acid Reflux

Are you fond of eating junk food, protein-rich food and processed foods? If you do, well, this is bad news for you. You are certainly a candidate for an acid reflux problem in your stomach and esophagus.

Acid reflux is a condition that is a prelude to ulcer. It is caused by a disturbance in the acid-alkaline condition in the stomach.

Eating specific acid foods that are hard to digest induces stomach spasms or twitching which causes the cardiac sphincter, opening between the esophagus and stomach to open for gases to form that should not.
This is an indigestion problem that has gotten out of hand and created acid wastes to flow up to your esophagus causing an irritation. This irritation, if not controlled can result to ulcers and other infections. The acid reflux diet that you have been eating should now be changed.

Once you have the symptoms of acid reflux, you need not resort to medications at once to cure the problem. You can start with home remedies that are surely less expensive.

You may start with changing your diet. You have to say goodbye to the following food and beverages: tea, coffee, radishes, garlic, onion, spices (pepper), oils, alcohol, sugar, soft drinks, diet soft drinks, asparagus (Brussels sprouts), high protein foods, pasta noodles, corn starch, eggs, plums, prunes, cranberries, and all processed foods including junk foods. Now, you may want to cry. All your comfort foods are gone.

If you think, you cannot abruptly eliminate them in your diet; start with taking just small amounts. Then start substituting them with the following: fruits, citric fruits in small amounts though due to their acidic content, all kinds of vegetables and almonds.
If you feel that you are not feeling the acid reflux symptoms anymore, you may go back to your previous diet in moderation though to prevent recurrence of the acid reflux.

Aside from proper diet, there are practical home remedies to avoid the acid reflux symptom. They are:
Avoid smoking before or during meals.
Eat in an upright sitting position.
Do not lie on the bed immediately after eating.
Take small walks after eating. It stimulates the digestive system.
Avoid exercise after a large meal.
Avoid wearing tight clothes.
Do not drink alcohol while eating.
Chew food slowly and thoroughly.

One of the home remedies for treating acid reflux is the ginger alternative. Ingesting ginger with a meal helps to reduce an upset stomach. The ginger is grounded and added to foods and taken in tea or capsule form. Most herbalists recommend consuming 500mg. of ginger with a full glass of water after meals.

We are often told by our physicians to drink more water, if possible at least 8 glasses each day. The water helps eliminate body toxins and allow the body to expel acid naturally.

Green tea has been used for centuries in Japan and other oriental countries as an after dinner drink. Green teas assist the body in the digestion process, and help soothe the stomach’s sensitive tissue.

Herbal teas containing peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip even in just small traces help the stomach lining repair itself. Often, one cup of tea following dinner is enough to reduce future acid reflux symptoms.

So, kiss acid reflux symptom goodbye!

Methods of Using Essential Oils

You can have all kinds of recipes for mixtures of essential oils. You may know just what these blends are meant to do for you. Yet, if you don’t know the methods for using them, they won’t do you much good.

Possibly the most popular method of using essential oils in the US today is inhalation. This method is favored in parts of Europe, and is called the German method. You can breathe in the aroma of the oils by putting a few drops of them on a tissue and inhaling. Or, you could just hold the bottle under your nose for awhile.

Breathing in the vapors of essential oils is very effective in most cases. It stimulates the olfactory system which has a great affect on the brain. This can help in cases of mood disturbances, for example. It can help with any ailment that is primarily associated with the brain.

Another method used in the US is massage. The essential oils are dropped into a carrier oil and massaged onto various parts of the body. This is called the English method. It is especially helpful for muscle pain, but can be useful for other ailments as well.

The French method of using essential oils is to ingest them. This should only be done with the purest, therapeutic grade essential oils that have been approved to be taken orally. A tiny amount of certain oils can be used to treat ailments like indigestion, for instance.

Sometimes, essential oils can be applied directly to the affected area. This is often the case with skin disorders. Usually a single drop of an essential oil will do the trick. If you use essential oils this way on children, be very careful. Make sure essential oils are well diluted with oil or water before applying to the skin.

You can do a patch test to determine if you are allergic to a particular essential oil. Mix a drop of the oil with a drop of carrier oil such as vegetable oil. Put it on an inconspicuous area, like under the arm. Cover it with a bandage for twenty four hours. If you have no reaction, you should be safe to use the essential oil on your skin.

Countless different problems can be aided by using essential oils in a bath water solution. Just add a few drops to your bath and soak for at least fifteen minutes. This will allow the essential oils to enter through your olfactory sense. It will also absorb into your skin, and finally into your bloodstream.

One way to use essential oils is to make a compress to put on an affected area. Put up to three drops of the essential oils on the affected area. Once the essential oils are in place, cover them with a hot, moist towel and then a dry towel. This increases the intensity of the vapors.

No matter how you use essential oils, you will find that they are very helpful for a variety of complaints. Of course, you still need to know exactly which oils to use. Once you know that, you can use the many methods of applying essential oils.

Essential Oils Used in Healing

If you are ill, you should generally turn to a physician for help. However, in many countries, essential oils are used in the mainstream medical community. So, if you still need help after seeing your doctor, you can use essential oils to help you heal. The first thing to remember when using essential oils for healing is that you need to buy only the certified therapeutic grade oils. These oils are purer and more concentrated. They will cost more, but if you buy the cheaper oils they will have little healing effect.

Essential oils strengthen your immune system. They can help with viruses and cold sores, for example. Clove, lemon, cinnamon, rosemary, and neroli are just some of the essential oils that will help in this area.

There are also essential oils that are powerful antifungal agents. Some of these are tea tree, lemon grass, and rosemary oils. Fungi can cause many problems in the body. Many people are allergic to mold. Allergies of all types can be treated with tansy, spikenard, cajeput, and chamomile, to name a few. Tansy, along with eucalyptus and marjoram are essential oils used to help with asthma. Bronchitis can be eased with eucalyptus, rosemary, and thyme oils.

Digestive tract ailments can be remedied with different essential oils. Peppermint, ginger, and tarragon oils are useful for people who suffer from indigestion. Ulcers can be helped by frankincense, chamomile, and myrrh oils.

There are problems in the lower part of the digestive tract that can be helped with essential oils as well. Constipation responds well to dill, marjoram, and especially to ginger. Use myrtle, coriander, and orange essential oils, instead, for diarrhea.

Many of the troubles people face in modern times can only be recognized by doing a blood test. For instance, once your doctor tells you that you have high cholesterol, he/she will give you a course of action to take. If you want to speed that along you can use rosemary, chamomile, or lemon essential oils, too. Clary sage and cedarwood are helpful for high cholesterol as well. Many essential oils have been used in the treatment of high blood pressure, another silent disorder. Ylang ylang, Melissa, and yarrow are among the remedies available.

Women have used essential oils for their hormonal problems for centuries. Jasmine, cypress, and coriander are used to alleviate difficult menstrual cycles. For menopause, clary sage and fennel have proven to be effective.

Different kinds of pain are soothed by the use of essential oils. Clove, peppermint, wintergreen, and lavender are a few used for general feelings of pain. The lavender and peppermint are probably the best for headaches. Biting on a whole clove will release its essential oils to relieve a toothache.

There are also essential oils remedies for even more serious conditions. These include tumors, heart problems, macular degeneration, and food poisoning. There is a way to use essential oils to treat almost every ailment known to man. Remember that, whenever possible, contact your doctor for evaluation of any health problem before relying on essential oils to heal it. In other countries, the doctor might prescribe essential oils. In the US, you can try them on your own, especially if your doctor agrees.

Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a dysfunction in the digestive system that largely affects the large intestine or the colon. This is the part of the system that takes care of the bowel movements in the body including the storage and the excretion of solid waste materials. In irritable bowel syndrome, the large intestine becomes too sensitive. As to whats the reason behind the sensitiveness of the large intestine, scientists and medical experts still cannot determine why. Researches are still being made up until now to ascertain the true cause of irritable bowel syndrome.

Because of the sensitiveness of the large intestine, specifically the lining, minor changes in the body system which is often brought on by stress and changes in the chemical make-up that enter the chambers result in reactions that affect the bodys bowel movements.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome may either suffer from diarrhea, characterized by a loose and watery stool or from constipation characterized by hard stool and infrequent defecation. This is a problem that is often mistaken as ordinary food poisoning or even indigestion. Unfortunately, since there is no single known cause of irritable bowel syndrome, there is also no diagnostic test that can confirm the disorder. The most that doctors do is to conduct tests that would eliminate other possibilities before continuing with the diagnosis.

One thing thought that separates irritable bowel syndrome from other diseases is the presence of abdominal pain that can last for a period of 12 months. Of course, the pain would not be there every day but a period of a year with abdominal pain is one of the main criteria for a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.

Because it is a syndrome, diagnosis will not depend on just one symptom. There are criteria that must be met before a conclusive diagnosis can be reached. The Rome II Diagnostic Criteria System is often used to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome. This system is also used in other gastrointestinal problems in the body and has already been established in the medical field as solid and sound criteria for diagnosis.

There is actually no cure for irritable bowel syndrome. The only thing that your doctor can do is to help relieve the pain. Treatment often involves the taking in of medications that will help ease constipation and regulate the bowel system, change in the diet plans and sometimes stress relief through psychotherapy.

Patients are also asked to avoid certain foods that are associated with irritable bowel syndrome. Food items that should be avoided include foods that are rich in oil and fats such as French fries, alcoholic drinks, chocolate, milk and milk products such as ice cream and cheese and even coffee.