Here's how to relieve your acid reflux cough and enjoy a good night's sleep

Here's how to relieve your acid reflux cough and enjoy a good night's sleep

We usually attribute a chronic or persistent cough to a flu infection or some type of allergy. What many of us don't associate with coughing is acid reflux. However, acid reflux cough is a common and much overlooked symptom.

These days I hear more and more people having heartburn and digestive problems. These may be isolated cases, but I've noticed a worrying trend of more and more people experiencing acid reflux symptoms on a more regular basis. In many cases, these symptoms are so severe that people can barely sleep at night or lead a normal life. But why are these conditions increasing?

Acid reflux is caused when stomach acid enters the esophagus - this is your esophagus. Stomach acid is corrosive, it irritates the thin lining of the esophagus and causes a burning sensation called heartburn. A cough can occur when the esophagus reacts to the acid by rapidly contracting and expanding.

When it comes to treating these symptoms, a doctor will often suggest antacid pills. These can be purchased at any pharmacy or drugstore. What these antacids do is settle your stomach by neutralizing the acid. For more severe heartburn symptoms, stronger medications are prescribed. These are commonly known as PPIs or pump-prime inhibitors. They are designed to reduce the amount of acids in your stomach.

I'm not against pharmaceutical medications - in certain advanced cases of the disease they may benefit - but when it comes to reflux medications, they don't address the real problem - what causes the excess acid in the first place?

Acid reflux is a digestive disorder made worse by an imbalanced digestive system. Many of the causes of excess acid in the stomach can be attributed to the consumption of acid-forming foods. This includes all processed foods, fried foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. These irritate the thin lining of your stomach and this triggers more acid production.

Many of the medications I just mentioned inhibit acid production. You may be thinking that this is good since it will relieve my acid reflux. In short, this can work, but there are long-term health complications. A lack of acid in the stomach is also harmful to health. Acid is important for breaking down foods that are difficult to digest, such as meat and other protein foods.

If there is not enough acid, these foods can remain undigested in the digestive tract, where they can become toxic and create a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Undigested food in the intestines is a precursor to many digestive disorders, including intestinal infections, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and even the risk of colon cancer.

However, if you are looking for a natural way to get relief from acid reflux cough, there are easy ways to do it. First, look at what you eat and identify the foods that make your symptoms worse. For example, choose a food and remove it for a week and see if it makes a difference to your symptoms. If your symptoms improve, you'll know it's definitely what's causing your cough.

As I mentioned earlier, there are foods that are known to cause acid reflux. Therefore, try to eliminate them from your diet or at least reduce the amount you consume. As you gradually eliminate these foods, consider introducing more fiber-rich foods as these will aid your digestion. Start eating more fruits and vegetables, but avoid citrus fruits and tomatoes for now as they are acid forming

Inspired by Sean O'Loughlin