Persistent coughing from acid reflux can be incredibly annoying and uncomfortable.
There are many short term over the counter solutions which work incredibly well.
However, if you want to stop your acid reflux cough – try this strategy which has helped all of my clients that complain about GERD.
What Causes Acid Reflux Cough?
Coughing from acid reflux is the result of your body’s response to stomach acid rising up to your esophagus.
Of course, your stomach acid is not supposed to rise that high in your GI tract and thus your body responds with the coughing reflex.
Aside from the physiological cause of the cough, there are also positional considerations such as if you are laying down.
There is also the postprandial reflux which occurs after you eat a meal or a specific food.
Solutions to Acid Reflux Cough
1.) Stop The Acid
The most obvious solution to reducing reflux is to neutralize the stomach acid which is precisely what over the counter drugs like TUMS do.
The calcium carbonate present in the medicine neutralizes the acid and stops the heart burn and associated cough.
You can also take an OTC drug called Prilosec which is a proton pump inhibitor.
This drug inhibits the secretion of stomach acid in the first place.
2.) Lose Weight
These OTC drugs work fine but they don’t get at the root of the issue.
The majority of my clients that experience acid reflux also all have one thing in common.
Excess body fat.
Being overweight is the leading cause of GERD according to the American Society for Gastoentestial Endoscopy!
This is precisely why the first thing I do to help my clients with acid reflux is to implement a diet and exercise program which is targeting at losing body fat.
Obesity & Acid Reflux
Being overweight causes acid reflux by increasing the pressure on your abdomen.
This extra fat squeezes your stomach and causes more acid to travel to your esophagus.
Once you start to lose fat, you will begin to notice a reduction in your symptoms.
I highly recommend you work with a qualified coach to help you lose weight.
I’ve worked with hundreds of individuals that have experienced obesity associated with acid reflux and the solution to their issue is always weight loss.
Weight Loss Tips for Reflux
In order to get rid of your reflux symptoms, you need to lose weight.
The way you lose weight is by creating a net energy deficit.
In other words, burning more energy than you take in.
This deficit is accomplished through both exercise and diet modification.
Start Exercising
Burning calories through exercise is the first thing you need to do.
Begin by implementing a full body strength training routine and cardio routine on a weekly basis.
I always recommend that people start slow and gradually increase the amount they are exercising in order to make continued progress.
Modify Your Diet
The next thing you need to do is implement a diet plan which places you in a calorie deficit.
The reduction of your food intake will create the fat loss that you are looking for.
I usually recommend 1lb per week as a safe bet for your rate of weight loss.
Of course, this will drastically differ according to the individual’s needs which is why it is best to have someone guide you through this process.
Hire an Expert
I only work exclusively with a small number of clients at any given time.
My hope is to break the archetype of transactional fitness by providing quality 1-on-1 coaching to help people improve their metabolic health through diet and exercise.
Unfortunately the fitness industry is filled with charlatans that want to sell you cookie cutter programs.
The reality is, you need something tailored if you want to see optimal improvements.