Anti-reflux pillow: how to use it and why it is so important
If you are reading this article, you most likely suffer from gastroesophageal reflux and are looking for a solution to help you sleep better. The good news is that this solution exists and it is called the antireflux pillow. But how do you use it?
We only anticipate that using an antireflux pillow is not that different from using traditional pillows, but trust us, the results will be amazing. Find out, then, what an antireflux pillow is and how to use it, and everything you can do to get rid of heartburn, acid regurgitation, and ultimately, get back to better sleep.
What is an antireflux pillow and how to use it
The antireflux pillow is exactly what you imagine, which is a pillow that is high enough to ensure that you are in the right position so that your stomach acid does not rise during the night. It is evident, in fact, that by keeping your torso slightly tilted, with your head in a higher position than your abdomen, the acid will struggle to rise up the walls of the esophagus, and you will sleep long, peaceful sleeps without discomfort or burning.
But the anti-reflux pillow, how is it used? Simple, like a regular bed pillow. You'll just substitute it for your regular pillow and use it as you usually do. It will take care of it to prevent the passage of acid from your stomach to your esophagus, allowing you to rest better.
After this explanation, however, you might be tempted to adopt a DIY remedy, such as lifting the mattress with couch cushions or rolled-up blankets. Don't do this; it would be a mistake.
Antireflux pillows are also called orthopedic antireflux pillows, and not for nothing. It's not enough that the height is just right: a pillow for gastroesophageal disorder, in fact, must also be able to take care of your back, preventing it from straining and/or crushing your vertebrae.
How high should the antireflux pillow be?
The height of the antireflux pillow must be right. Does that sound too sibylline an answer? You are right, but that is exactly what it is. In fact, the recommended height for an adult antireflux pillow is never less than 17 cm, which is the bare minimum to ensure proper head position. On the contrary, an antireflux pillow of a greater height would force the neck to assume incorrect positions, negatively affecting the cervical spine. You don't want to wake up with a stiff neck, just to fight gastroesophageal reflux, do you?
In fact, the neck area is subjected to the weight of the head during the night. If this is not positioned properly, therefore, the cervical vertebrae tend to be crushed, causing tension that, in the long run, ends up causing pain. In short, especially if you suffer from cervicalgia, an orthopedic antireflux pillow is just the thing for you!
How to use an anti-reflux pillow
Because they have to counteract the rise of stomach acid, antireflux pillows are designed to raise the head relative to the torso just enough to prevent the acid from causing discomfort and pain. By properly balancing the position of the torso with that of the head, in fact, stomach acidity is less likely to rise back up into the esophagus and cause the traditional symptoms of gastroesophageal disorder.
But how do you put on the antireflux pillow? Using an antireflux pillow is very simple, because all you have to do is use it as you do with traditional pillows. Unlike usual, however, you should try to sleep on your side, preferably on your left side, because some studies suggest that resting on your right side may worsen the symptoms of this condition. It is understood that if this is not your preferred position, you can still sleep on your right side as well, partly because recent research has instead ruled out any correlation between sleeping position and reflux.
Perhaps at first it may seem uncomfortable to sleep in a position that is not your usual position, but with time you will find that your health, and especially your sleep, will benefit significantly.
Anti-reflux pillow: how to use it to reap the greatest benefits
How to use an antireflux pillow will certainly be clearer to you now, but now a clarification needs to be made: it will all be useless if you don't stick to a few small rules to keep the gastroesophageal disorder under control.
Here are some tips that will help you counteract burning and pain in the abdomen and esophagus at night:
- Avoid eating heavy or spicy meals before bedtime, preferring light, easily digestible foods. Also, limit your consumption of tomatoes and lettuce and refrain from coffee and chocolate, even during the day.
- From the afternoon onward, do not drink alcoholic or carbonated beverages, which can stimulate the rise of gastric juices during sleep.
- Try to stay fit by avoiding weight gain. Remember that both obesity and lack of physical activity can make gastroesophageal disorder incisively worse.
- Do not go to sleep immediately after eating, but allow at least a couple of hours to pass. In this way, digestion will occur more easily and the rise of gastric juices will be prevented by the upright position.
- Give up chewing gum and smoking, two activities that to some extent contribute to air ingestion, which in turn worsens the gastroesophageal disorder.
And of course, resort to an anti-reflux topper or pillow.
Anti-reflux topper and pillow: how to use them to fight gastroesophageal reflux
Now that you know how to use the antireflux pillow, it's worth informing you that to combat the rise of gastric juices from the stomach there is also another device: the reflux topper. To be applied to your mattress, this orthopedic device gives comfortable support to your torso, allowing it to achieve the necessary tilt so that gastric juices do not rise up along the esophagus.
In addition, the anti-reflux topper is particularly suitable for those who suffer from neck pain, because it allows them to sleep even in a supine position without the neck being affected, and it also allows those who frequently change positions during sleep to sleep well.
But which antireflux pillow to choose? Opt for a Pharmaflex antireflux topper or pillow. Designed to meet the needs of those suffering from gastroesophageal reflux, these devices are antibacterial, hypoallergenic, durable and, most importantly, effective. Treat yourself to a Pharmaflex device and get back to rest in peace.
