GERD, commonly known as acid reflux is a strong discomfort in the stomach. It can be very irritating but has some simple remedies to encounter it.
Sleeping while having your head lifted a little can be such action against the issue to alleviate it. This position allows the esophagus to be above the stomach. By doing so, the stomach will stay below the line and the acid in it will not climb up.
But there are more things to learn about the process and how it all works. So in this article, we will discuss GERD, mattress, mattress elevator, and in addition, explain how to relieve GERD with a mattress elevator.
GERD: What Is It?
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or Chronic Acid Reflux are commonly known as GERD. This condition is a digestive disorder that affects the muscular band or tube which connects the esophagus with the stomach.
This digestive disorder could occur if a pipe in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is weak, opens whenever it feels like, or it refuses to close accurately when food digests in your stomach.
After that, the acid in your stomach continuously flows through your esophagus in your throat and goes back into your mouth. This is when your mouth gives you a sour taste. Eventually, it will lead to acid reflux and heartburn when it begins to irritate the stomach lining.
It is now seen as a regular occurrence to have heartburn and acid flux, as many people of all ages go through this experience at one point or the other. However, if symptoms of heartburn or acid flux frequently occur more than three times in a week after taking medications and antacids to prevent it, you have GERD.
Mattress: How Does It Help
A mattress is where you lie down for comfort and cushioning and aid you body to relax from stress. It was produced with hairs, feathers, and also straws in the old days. But in this century, it is made of thick and heavy clothes, consisting of foam, rubber, hair, cotton, or metal springs.
Most mattresses have a flat surface where you typically use a pillow to raise your head from surface level. However, as acide reflux can be avoided by laying down with your upper body lifted a little, a mattress raiser or elevator can help, big time.
Mattress Elevator
Mattress elevator assists your mattress and bed to provide the best solace and comfort while sleeping or just resting. Depending on what you want or which position is comfortable for you, it can raise your head or feet.
If a mattress elevator raises your head about seven inches high, it typically relieves GERD and enhances your breathing and heart health without taking drugs. Hence, the mattress elevator aids the constant circulation of blood in your body. That reduces the symptoms of restless leg syndrome alongside Acide reflux.
In addition, mattress elevator miraculously alleviates the symptoms of nervousness, also cerebral palsy, and injury on the spine.
Do Bed Risers Help With GERD Symptoms?
Yes, ded risers can help with GERD symptoms. The popular symptom of GERD is heartburn which is a hurting sensation one feels at the back of the breastbone. The burning sensation could increase and, as a result, become worse if you just finish eating or lie down.
However, there are other symptoms of Gerd, such as difficulty in swallowing, nausea, respiratory issues, and bad breath.
Research has it that there is a thick line connecting GERD and bed risers. It has been reported that those who got relieved from GERD and heartburn did not take drugs, but according to a study, they found out that bed risers relieved GERD symptoms.
So the conclusion was that this treatment plan on how to relieve GERD with a mattress elevator could only work if the head side of your bed is lifted upwards by six to eight inches. In that position, the acid in the stomach won’t go down the esophagus. But when one lies on the bed flat, it makes the food travel back to the esophagus and gets into the mouth.
How to Relieve GERD with Mattress Elevator
Here are the best methods on how to relieve GERD with a mattress elevator, and these methods will prevent it from recurring.
1. Select the right mattress elevator
First and foremost, you must select a comfortable mattress elevator to rise your mattress off the level. If you couldn’t go with that option, there is something called an orthopedic wedge pillow which is used in place of an elevated bed.
You can also restrategize by getting bed risers, either wooden or plastic, that will assist in lifting your mattress. When you make use of a normal pillow, there are possibilities that you may slip down, but the reverse is the case for orthopedic wedge pillows. It gives rise to a night of good and healthy sleep. However, in some cases, it can lead to pain in the neck.
2. Raise Your Bed
After choosing which material to go with, you can move on to lifting your bed to the perfect height. Researchers prove that it is a good step to relieve GERD. The essence of this is for your head to be higher than your feet, so your bed should be raised by at least six inches and, at most, eight inches.
This should be approximately fifteen to twenty centimeters. So, raise your bed as high as it remains comfortable. But there is still a need for you to be comfortable with whichever height you choose. So if you elevate your bed to seven inches, you should sleep well with it and won’t be uncomfortable.
3. Don’t use Many Pillows
If you want to make use of an orthopedic pillow, please don’t attach your standard pillow to it. If you want to use a mattress elevator, don’t add an orthopedic pillow to it.
Using many sleeping pillows can place one’s head and shoulders in a strained posture that is dangerous to the stomach. It can squeeze the stomach and abdomen and therefore give rise to an increase in GERD.
4. Raise Your Shoulders
Your stomach and esophagus join and meet at the scapula. The scapula is called the shoulder blade, and it is found at the upper part of the back. When elevating your bed, the shoulder blades should be lifted too. This is necessary to prevent GERD.
Final Thought
GERD comes with a sharp pain that makes it hard for one to have a good night’s sleep. Although there are methods you can use to get rid of it, but you need the right sleeping posture in prior. Now that you know how to relieve GERD with a mattress elevator, getting a bed raiser is your best bet. A removable raiser helps you use the mattress elevated or flat as you wish.
Instead of investing in a new elevated bed, go get an external raiser that you can put underneath your mattress. It will save you on money while keeping the same mattress. It will not only help you alleviate GERD, but also reduce the risks of greater health conditions like heart attack, especially if you’re aged.
