Herbal Remedies for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Gerd)

Abstract

Today’s unhealthy lifestyle is a major concern these days. Most of us choose an unhealthy lifestyle and due to this unhealthy and poor lifestyle we face many problems related to our health conditions. Due to unhealthy eating habits, many diseases occur, GERD is also one of them. GERD also known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a chronic digestive disease. In this condition, acid flows back up into the esophagus. Approx one third of the population is suffering from GERD. This is a very serious and a long lasting condition. Day by day the symptoms get worse in this condition. Some lifestyle choices can cause GERD. It can cause real harm to the body, if not treated on time. Our poor lifestyle is the main reason for this condition. Once we change our eating habits, we will definitely get a cure from GERD.

Introduction

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a digestive disorder which causes heartburn and acid indigestion. It is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting so many people in this world and also occurs in children. It can occur due to poor lifestyle habits. In this condition, the digestive disorder affects the muscle ring called the lower esophageal sphincter. Normally the esophageal sphincter relaxes during swallowing. Reflux is increased because of reduced normal and resting pressure of the sphincter. This disorder is basically due to damage to the oesophageal mucosa  due to the reflux of gastric contents. In patients with persistent gastroesophageal reflux, the distal esophageal may become lined by  columnar secretory epithelium.This condition is more commonly seen in western countries.

In  this condition food remains for too long in the stomach. If we eat a healthy diet, then the symptoms of GERD will not aggravate anymore. You can improve your symptoms by doing some diet and lifestyle changes. Sometimes due to excessive acid, it may cause irritation and pain. When acid reflux happens again and again then it causes GERD. If this condition is left untreated,then it can cause esophageal ulcers or even cancer.This condition occurs when malfunctioning of lower esophageal sphincter occurs and when esophagus is exposed to stomach acid, it causes irritation and pain and also gets inflamed. It can permanently damage the inside lining of your esophagus. Some foods can also cause irritation to your esophagus and symptoms may also get worse. GERD can be managed permanently in Ayurveda by some herbal medications and a proper diet and lifestyle.

Here are some possible causes

1. Hiatal Hernia
2. Obesity
3. Smoking
4. Pregnancy

Signs and Symptoms

Here are some common signs and symptoms

1.  Burning sensation in the chest (Heartburn)
2. Upper abdominal pain
3. Chest pain
4. Difficulty in swallowing
5. Abdominal bloating
6. Abdominal discomfort
7. Abdominal distension
8. Indigestion
9. Nausea and vomiting
10. Heaviness in the stomach

Diagnosis

Mainly Diagnosed by

1. Esophageal manometry
2. Upper endoscopy
3. X ray of the upper digestive system
4. Ph monitoring
5. Biopsy of the esophageal mucosa
6. Bernstein test for chest pain

Treatment

So Here are Some Treatment Options Which Includes

1. Antacids
2. Proton pump inhibitor
3. H2 blockers like famotidine

Ayurvedic Overview on GERD

In Ayurveda, GERD is correlated with  Amalpitta. As we know, Ayurveda always focuses on balancing doshas in the body. Main goal of Ayurveda is to work on doshas. In GERD, Pitta dosha is mainly involved in the body. In this condition, Pitta imbalances in the body and then causes a problem. Basically, people with GERD should avoid foods that are hot in nature because it will increase pitta dosha and then problems like indigestion, bloating, acidity and heartburn will occur.

In this condition, Vidagdha aahar becomes amla and still remains in the stomach which in turn vitiates the pitta dosha due to which vitiated Pitta causes manda agni (slows down the digestion) and then katu rasa gets converted into amla rasa and then causes amlapitta. Here, the main goal is to balance pitta dosha.  In this, tikshna agni is present and a large amount of acid is produced in the stomach which colonizes the antrum of the stomach.  According to Ayurveda, people who have GERD should avoid those foods which can trigger their symptoms.Ayurveda has a permanent cure for GERD, as it is a very treatable condition. It can be easily managed in Ayurveda.

There are Two Types of Amlapitta

1.  Adhoga amlapitta
2.  Urdhvaga amalpitta

1. Adhoga amlapitta

Adhoga means downwards.In this, the symptoms manifest in the  downwards direction. It mainly affects the duodenum part. Symptoms of Adhoga amlapitta include: Diarrhoea, loose stools, abdominal discomfort.Burning sensation in the stomach, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

2. Urdhvaga amalpitta

Urdhvaga means upwards. In this, symptoms manifest in the upward direction. It mainly affects the lining of the esophagus. Symptoms of Urdhva amlapitta include hoarseness of voice, pain in the chest, heartburn and acidity.

Symptoms According to Doshas

1. Vata amlapitta: Tremors, pain, dizziness, tingling sensations and mental confusion.
2. Pitta amlapitta: Burning sensation in stomach, heartburn, acidity.
3. Kapha amlapitta: Heaviness in the body, heaviness after eating, excretion of mucus, vomiting, excessive sleep and itching.

Some Causes According to Ayurveda are

1. Viruddha anna pana/opposite foods
2. Dushta ana pana/contaminated foods
3. Amal anna pana/sour foods
4. Vidahi anna pana/foods that are corrosive in nature
5.  And most important, Pitta prakopi anna pana/foods that aggravate pitta dosha(foods that are hot in nature)
6. Asatmya aahar (improper diet)
7. Vishma aahar (irregular eating habits)
8. Mithya aahar (incompatible foods)
9. Agni mandya (weak digestive fire)
10. Mansik klesh (mental stress)

Treatment Acoording to Ayurveda

So here are some Ayurvedic medications for GERD: Patol (Trichosanthes dioica), Pittapapda (Fumaria Indica), Praval panchamrit , Gaughrit,Vasa (Justicia adhatoda), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Amalpitta ghan vati, Shatavari Ghrita, Patoladi kwath , Kushmand swarasa, Drakshadi churna, Guduchyadi kwath.

Here are Some Panchakarma Therapies for GERD/Amlapitta

1. Vaman (induced vomiting)- best for Urdhva Amlapitta
2. Virechana (induced purgation)- best for Adhoga Amlapitta
3. Abhyanga (Massage)
4. Swedana (steam)
5. Lepana (application of paste)
6. Shirodhara (medicated decoction on the forehead)

Some Home Remedies for GERD/Amlapitta

1. Advice patients to drink fennel seeds water soaked overnight
2. Consume cow ghee empty stomach in the morning
3. Drink curcumin water as it reduces inflammation
4. Use black pepper as it is good for better absorption of food
5. Use Liquorice root and Aloe vera juice

Herbal Remedies for GERD/Amlapitta by Planet Ayurveda

All the products of Planet Ayurveda are loaded with Herbal ingredients. Planet Ayurveda is a GMP certified company. Hence no preservatives are added to their products. As they provide Herbal products, so no side effects are seen in their products. Their products are  very safe to use and also provide benefits in many disorders. Planet Ayurveda provides an Acidity care pack for GERD. This acidity care pack is made from pure herbs like:

Product Description

1. Amalaki Rasayan

Amalaki rasayan is a common Ayurvedic preparation by Planet Ayurveda for gastric reflux.  It is used to reduce symptoms of acid reflux. It is very useful in heartburn and acidity. It has a very soothing effect on conditions like acidity and GERD. Ingredients added to this are standardized Herbal extract of Amalaki.

DOSAGE:1-2 Capsules twice daily with plain water after meals.

2. Digestion Support

These capsules are useful in supporting good digestion. These capsules are made from pure natural herbs by Planet Ayurveda. Ingredients added to this are Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica), Vibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), Pippali (Piper longum), Dhania (Coriandrum sativum), Jeerak (Cuminum cyminum) and Saunf (Foeniculum vulgare).

DOSAGE: 1-2 Capsules twice daily with plain water after meals.

3. Heartburn capsules

These capsules from Planet Ayurveda are very good for digestion. It has a cooling effect on our body and is also helpful in burning the sensation of the chest. Ingredients added to this are Akik pishti (Agate calcium), Praval pishti (Coral calcium), Mukta pishti (Pearl calcium), Jahar mohra pishti (Ayurvedic calcium compound), Kamdudha ras and Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia

DOSAGE: 1 Capsule twice daily with plain water after meals.

4. Mahashankh Vati

It is an Ayurvedic formulation by Planet Ayurveda that is used in many disorders and amlapitta is also one of them. It has good digestive and appetizer properties. It is very helpful in indigestion and intestinal pain. Ingredients added to this are Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica), Danti (Baliospermum montanum), Pippali (Piper longum),Yavakshar (Hordeum vulgare),b Sarjikakshara, Shuddha parad (Processed mercury) and Shuddha tankan (Borax).

DOSAGE: 1-2 tablets two to three times a day with lukewarm water.

Conclusion

So, in this article I explained about GERD, also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux disease. I explained about its types, causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and its treatment. We also took a brief look at the Ayurvedic approach on GERD and its treatment. Also mentioned Planet Ayurveda’s Treatment for GERD .  So as we all know GERD is a condition which can be cured permanently by Ayurveda medications and lifestyle changes because Ayurveda works on roots only. So that’s why  Ayurveda is very useful in managing GERD. A person can manage GERD symptoms by improving their diet. So,be careful while choosing your diet because diet plays a very crucial role in managing a disease and when it comes to GERD, Ayurveda treatment and diet is the only better option left.