Alternative Medicine for GERD & Hiatal Hernia

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a common condition that results from stomach acid making its way into the esophagus because of a weakness in the valve meant to keep stomach contents in the stomach. GERD is often, but not always, associated with hiatal hernia. If you have a weakness or tear in the diaphragm that allows a portion of your stomach to protrude into your esophagus, you have a hiatal hernia.

Allopathic Remedies

If your physician diagnoses you with GERD, he may prescribe one of several acid pump inhibitors to lessen the amount of acid produced in your stomach. While this can bring relief, sometimes it can actually worsen the problem over time. Some people are diagnosed as having acid overproduction, when in fact they are under-producing. This leads to incomplete digestion and contributes to the burning and heaviness feeling. Typical treatments for hiatal hernia include sleeping with your head and shoulders elevated, eating smaller meals, and possibly surgery.

Alternative Remedies

As stated above, GERD symptoms can sometimes actually be caused by insufficient stomach acid rather than too much. To see if this is the case, you can purchase betaine hydrocholoric acid (stomach acid) capsules over the counter. Take one capsule with a meal (never take these unless you are going to immediately follow them with food). If you tolerate it well and do not experience a worse burning sensation, you may have low acid rather than excess acid. If your heartburn worsens, you most likely have excess acid; therefore, discontinue the use of these capsules.

If you suffer from excess acid, you might try licorice. Licorice is available at your local health food store in pill form; look for deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) to avoid possible raised blood pressure. According to a study done by L. Glick, and published in "Lancet" in 1982, DGL was shown to help heal peptic ulcers. Bladderwrack is another herb you can use. It contains alginic acid, which is one of the active ingredients in the popular remedy Gaviscon.

Hiatal hernia can often be relieved by some physical activities, like regular walking. The motion helps your stomach slide back down into its place. When you feel the fullness that signals your stomach has slid up through the esophageal opening, try lying on your back and relaxing. Place one hand at the base of your breastbone and, using light pressure, slide your hand in a downward motion for a few inches. This may put things back in place. Also try standing on a step stool or lowest stair and jump lightly down to help your stomach slide back out of the opening.