Alternative Medicine for Acid Reflux
Acid reflux disease affects more than 15 million people just in the United States alone. Anyone who took a stroll down a pharmacy aisle where antacids are displayed would probably guess that twice that number was burdened with this uncomfortable and persistent malady. The sheer number of different remedies for heartburn and acid indigestion is amazing. People are popping these over the counter drugs down like candy in an effort to relive themselves of uncomfortable symptoms, totally unaware that acid reflux responds more quickly to alternative medicine remedies. If one OTC drug doesn’t help, they try another, and then another… anything for relief!
Do you know what is in those over the counter remedies? If you are like most people, you don’t bother to read the list of ingredients – or the list of side effects. Yes, OTC drugs can have side affects just like prescription drugs. Unfortunately, more acid reflux sufferers don’t know about alternative medicines available for their symptoms. They could save themselves unnecessary suffering if they did, for these easily obtained drugs can actually make their overall condition worse by –
• Causing “acid rebound” – more stomach acid forms once a dose of antacid has worn off.
• Disturbing the digestive system by keeping the body from absorbing vitamins and calcium from food.
Acid reflux sufferers need more options, and alternative medicine has several that will give them better and faster relief than anything OTC or allopathic. Believe it or not, one of the best natural remedies for acid reflux disease is garlic. Most people would think the opposite, but garlic effectively kills bacteria in the stomach that can be responsible for inflammation of this organ. Another natural remedy that gives relief by changing the pH balance of the stomach is an herb called Artemisia asiatica, or wormwood. This herb has been lab tested and found to both prevent and treat acid reflux – more kudos for alternative medicine!
Another study has found that drinking celery juice can cause the stomach lining to produce hydrochloric acid, which is vital for digestion. It increases stomach acid in a natural way, which puts an end to heartburn and acid reflux with a minimum of exertion. Taken like one would a liquid medication, a mere tablespoon 30 to 40 minutes before a meal does the trick. Juice from a raw cabbage, which contains sulfur, is also very helpful at alleviating digestion troubles of any sort. Vitamin B12, Vitamin B12 complex, and any type of probiotics are very useful for decreasing and preventing acid reflux.
Acid reflux is easy to understand the more you know about alternate medicine. More and more people are going the natural route when it comes to safeguarding their health, and alternate medicine is a prime example.
Alternative Medicine Related Articles
Alternative Medicine Careers Can Start At Home
Are you looking for a different kind of medical career? One of several alternative medicine careers may be perfect for you. There are many to choose from, and if this is the career path you choose, you must be especially careful to choose a good school. At first glance, this can seem to be an intimidating task, but if you break it down into small steps it becomes much easier.
Alternative medicine careers require specialized education – education that you can’t get at a regular academic college. There are schools that have been established just so that promising students can receive training in the area of their choice. If you are looking to make a career change, there are programs that allow you to earn a certificate or diploma from the comfort of your own home. This is possibly the smartest way of all to work your schooling into a busy lifestyle. You can study on your own time, whenever you choose… in the evenings, on the weekends… whenever it is convenient.
One of the many alternative medicine careers that you can study for at home is called a Holistic Health Practitioner or HHP for short. You will learn how to treat not just symptoms, but the whole person. An HHP first meeting with a patient is usually to discuss any lifestyle concerns, and nutrition problems. Since the holistic healer is taught that the body can heal itself, tour job will be to set the stage for healing for each of your patients. You do this by recommending a proper diet, specific exercises, and coming up with innovative ways to balance that person’s stress levels.
This is one of the alternative medicine careers that teaches you that healing can take place when the environment is right. An HHP is also armed with an arsenal of knowledge concerning vitamins, herbs, anatomy and physiology, and a huge heart. A good HHP genuinely cares about his patients.
Another one of the popular alternative medicine careers that you can study for at your leisure and enjoy thoroughly is that of the Master Herbalist, or MH. As an herbalist, you will know exactly how to prepare herbs for medicinal use, grow herbs for your own use, and learn herbal therapies in the three main branches, which are Chinese Traditional, Ayurvedic, and Western. You will also be taught about how herbal preparations can interact with prescription drugs in positive and not-so-positive ways. An herbalist also learns not to suggest herbs for symptoms, rather, an herbalist attempts to locate the reason for the symptom in the body, and treats this imbalance with herbs in order to diminish or do away with the symptom.
Alternative medicine careers can be quite lucrative. If you study for one of the above careers, or one of the many others that are available, you can expect to enjoy a satisfying job where you will be much in demand.
Alternative Medicine Related Articles