What is acid reflux and how does bed wedge help to prevent it

All of us experience acid reflux at some point in our live. It is not totally uncommon after taking junk or spicy food, or even a large meal. This is a condition where we feel a burning sensation in our chest, as well as inflammation or irritation in stomach. But if we experience these symptoms twice or thrice a week,or chronically, the problem is much more acute than a simple case of acid reflux. It can be a serious problem of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD).This is a serious stomach disorder caused mainly due to obesity, pregnancy or in chronic disease like diabetes and asthma.

GERD is a condition that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). It is a muscle located just in between the stomach and esophagus .These muscles are normally tough and taut, and it functions as a barrier. It opens up only when food is passing from the esophagus to the stomach and closes down once the food passes into the stomach.In the case of GERD this muscles are weak and irregular in relaxing. This condition of LES leads the acid to come in the esophagus while we are lying down.

If this disorder is not treated in time it could cause a serious problem like esophagities in our esophagus. Esophagities is a problem that makes it difficult and painful for us to swallow our food.

Treatment

 Medicines like antacids, any drugs advised by a physician, or in some cases, surgery is a solution to this problem. Other than this a bed wedge is a modern and sound solution to these above-mentioned problems. It not only gives relieves from serious disorders like GERD but also helps in a good night sleep.

How it operates

 A wedge pillow helps us to elevate our head while sleeping which stops the flow of acid from our stomach to esophagus. If we are sleeping in a regular pillow or in a flat surface, acid get leaked easily to our esophagus.

Types of wedge pillow

Wedge pillows are made of foam with hypoallergenic, washable a removable cover. They normally come in two type- med slant and posthera .This kind of pillow can also be used sideways or in the back side while sleeping

Med slant

 This kind of pillow lifts our torso up to seven inches and can be used both for side and backside while sleeping. Med slant can also be used in crib for infants with acid reflux problem. It can also be used with a regular pillow.

Posthera

This pillow is specially designed for us to deal with acid reflux. It can be used for mild, moderate to severe acid reflux, and comes in many sizes like small, medium and large.  These pillows help to elevate our torso from 30 to 40 degree in height.

Some people are not even aware that they are suffering from acid reflux. This situation can be changed by making a wedge pillow part of our daily life and awareness about our health conditions.

What are mattress elevator and its benefits?

As our world is becoming more and more fast-paced, we have to cope constantly with the piling work and performance pressure. All these lead to back problems because of the hours of sitting in front of a computer and being deprived of sleep. To help this condition, a mattress elevator is one of the solutions. This is a piece of foam that is put under our mattress to give a little slant in our upper body. It slightly elevates or slants our upper body which protects our body from bad postures and helps us to sleep better.

Benefits of mattress elevator

Although there is another way of lifting our body mattress elevator has multiple health benefits which made this product popular over the last few decades. It not only helps us sleep better it also give us relief from back pain. Here are some of the benefits of mattress elevator for our sleep:

Back pain relief

We often suffer due to bad posture while sleeping flat in our bed, as a result we suffer from back pain, spondylitis, sprain in the neck, or even spinal cord injury. Mattress elevator prevents our body from these conditions while sleeping. It also promotes healthy alignment of the spine giving a soothing relief from any pain or stiffness in our body.

Reduces acid reflux

Acid reflux is a condition when we suffer from a burning sensation in our chest. This condition specifically occurs after finishing dinner or eating junk or any food that is acidic in nature. But sometimes if we experience this repeatedly this can be a serious issue of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Mattress elevator helps in preventing this condition. A slight lift of our upper body eliminates the risk of accidentally reaching of acid from our stomach to the esophagus which causes the burning sensation in our chest.

Prevents sleep Apnea           

Sleep apnea or snoring loudly throughout the night is a sleep disorder that some of us suffer. If we snore the whole time while we sleep, that means our nasal passage is blocked and we are having some difficulty in sleeping. Our brain registers this problem while we are sleeping, and wakes us momentarily to prevent our airway from getting blocked which is the result of our snoring. Elevating our mattresses ensure even breathing and no blockage of the air passage. It minimizes snoring and helps us in a sound sleep without any difficulty.

Types of mattress elevator

As there is a variety of mattresses elevator available in the market we can choose any alternatives based on our needs and setting of our bed. Few common mattresses elevators that you can choose are-

·         Plastic-under bed wedge

·         Elevation toppers

·         Wedge pillow

·         Under-bed support foam

·         Elevating incline insert

Mattress elevator is a good solution to problems like back pain, sleep apnea, and (GERD). It not only prevents such problems like snoring, acidity, and joint pains but also helps in a comfortable and peaceful sleeping habit. There are a number of top brands providing a large number of mattresses in the market to ease our life.