Quick Relief From Acid Reflux Throat Irritation
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When you are dealing with acid refluxing up into the esophagus, you know there can be many painful problems that follow. Acid can travel up to the top of the throat and may leak into the lungs, causing all kinds of breathing problems, and even lowering lung function. You may have problems with your sinuses, and you know all about the pain in the chest that comes with reflux. You may also notice that it hurts to swallow sometimes, and that can be due to damage in the upper esophagus and throat. When that happens, you want to find something for immediate relief, and that means finding good ways to soothe acid reflux throat irritation.
The first thing you should consider when thinking about acid reflux throat pain is that you have to get your reflux under control if you have not already done so. If you don’t stop the root of your throat irritation, nothing is going to help you. The biggest problem you may have with your throat is that it hurts in the morning. This is because acid has leaked into the esophagus while you were sleeping, and has sat in your throat. Start taking medications or natural remedies to combat acid reflux, which ever you are more comfortable with using.
You will still experience some acid reflux throat irritation while you are working to get your reflux under control. That is when you can think about things that can soothe your throat until the acid is not doing any more damage. Once the acid is contained, your tissues will heal, but it might not happen right away. However, depending on the state of the damage, it might not mean complete healing.
Here are five tips for soothing your acid reflux throat pain and irritation:
- Think about minimizing your throat damage by elevating the head of your bed. Find something you can use to raise the top of your mattress so that the upper half of your body is elevated by at least six inches. You have to make sure you elevate the entire upper torso, and not just your head. This helps keeps acid down into the stomach and out of the esophagus while you are sleeping.
- Sometimes a sore throat can be aggravated by dry air. When sleeping, many of us breath through our mouths without realizing it. What might help is having a humidifier going while you are sleeping. This puts moisture into the air, and helps the throat from drying over night.
- There are a few drinks you can use to soothe your throat irritation in the morning. You can try gargling with salt water, or you can try any number of teas. You only need about a half a teaspoon of salt per tall glass of water for gargling, and when drinking tea, add some honey.
- You can also try zinc cough drops or lozenges. These should not be relied on, and should not be used all day, but can be used when pain is bad and you need to take the edge off.
- Lastly, increase your daily fluid intake. This isn’t a direct cure for acid reflux throat irritation, but it does help in the long run. You should drink plenty of water each day, and it has more benefits that just helping with a sore throat. Aim for eight glasses a day, and drink more if you can.
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I am taking Nexium for my SILENT GERD. I was also told that for older persons, like me I am 66 and diabetic, I should take vinegar and honey before eating and before sleeping. As an older person, I need more acid to aid digestion, this is the reasoning behind the vinegar and honey. Would NEXIUM neutralize the vinegar?. The honey is to soothe the throat.
I have no acidic symtoms but dry cough, hacking cough. My doctor diagnosed me as having “silent GERD”. i also wake up with bitter taste in my mouth. Is that acid or bile?
I like your advice, regarding the ginger tea. It helps soothe the throat and prevents me from triggering that awful dry cough.
Keep up the good work. Thanks. Alice from TX
Hi, thank you for the great information. Please keep it coming! I have a question. My symptoms are not too severe, but I have a lot of throat clearing. No pain, but constant need to clear throat for a while some times. I’m on Protonix 40 mil 2 times a day and it works pretty well, but I still get a little mild heartburn occasionally and throat clearing and burping pretty often. Any idea of what causes the throat clearing thing and how to prevent or minimize it?
Thank you very much for your time
Joe
When my throat hurts, do does my ears, any suggestions?
Where can I get a copy of your Stop Acid Reflux Now Book
Have you any remedies for difficulty swallowing? My throat feels full of phlegm.
Gale & Joe,
Difficulty swallowing, excessive phlegm or a feeling of phlegm and throat clearing can be signs of acid reflux and may also indicate Laryngopharygeal Reflux (LPR) sometimes called silent reflux where the larynx (voice box) or pharynx (back of the throat) are effected by the refluxing acid.
Acid reflux can cause inflammation of these soft tissues giving the feeling that your throat is full of phlegm when infact it may not be. Try if you can to avoid the throat clearing as this just inflames the tissues further. Instead drink a glass of water (not easy I know).
Generally the recommendations for avoiding acid reflux will improve the above symptoms as they can stem from having refluxing acid.
If you’re not already doing so incorporate the following changes:
- Eat smaller meals more often
- Don’t eat within 3 hours of lying down
- Avoid carbonated beverages
- Avoid caffeinated drinks, including tea and coffee
- Avoid spicy foods
- Avoid high fat foods
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid chocolate
- Sleep with the head of your bed raised
- Don’t stop taking prescribed medication without consulting your doctor first.
Also, ask about seeing if your diagnosis is LPR rather than straightforward acid reflux as the medications tend to be different.
Georchia
Your ears and throat are linked so you may have an infection that is spreading from your throat to your ears. Ear infections are a relatively common side effect of GERD.
Anthony
Thanks for your interest!
You can purchase a copy of Stop Acid Reflux Now at the following website:
Stop Acid Reflux Now.
Alice
I’m really pleased that the ginger tea is keeping your dry hacking cough under control. Apple cider vinegar and honey has long been a natural home remedy used to treat acid reflux. You mention you’re diabetic Alice so I would run this past your doctor to make sure that you’re okay to take teaspoons of honey throughout the day.
Hi, many thanks for the infomation.Any idea on burning chest and pain in upper back while eating and/or after. Is this acid reflux and what can I do to control it or even prevent it
Kathryn, thanks for the response. I have another question. Why can you take nexium and simliar drugs (even Zantac and Prilosec) for only 14 days?
Ihave suffered from severe acid reflux I have tried many things and after about 11 months of natural remedies i have found that chewing sugarless gum after eating has helped alot especially with the problems with swallowing I also take apple cider vinegar bicarb soda mixture before morning and evening meal, very helpful with digestion. I have also been visiting a chiropractor for my hiatis hernia.I have noticed a big improvement, helps about 60% of people so I am told. what caused my acid reflux, non steroidal anti inflams bad stuff long term something my doctor failed to tell me. Hope this helps someone
Margaret - thanks for sharing your comments about how you’ve managed to bring your acid reflux under control. It’s always great to hear a success story when using natural methods. Your comment highlights a great point about longterm use of NSAID’s. They are effective but patients should be made aware of the possible side effects.
Gale - your welcome. Onto the next question. Nexium is approved for the short term relief of GERD - up to 8 weeks. An initial course of 4 -8 weeks is usually prescribed. If symptoms still persist a further course may be considered.
Nexium works by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach and promotes the healing of any erosions in the esophagus caused by refluxing stomach acid.
The reason treatment is limited is because the drug hasn’t been tested for long term use.
Also, you do actually need stomach acid for effective digestion and to kill of bacteria in the stomach. So it’s not that good for the rest of your body to be taking an acid supressing drug for long periods of time.