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Homeopathic Remedies for Acid Reflux in Children

Acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux (GER or GERD), is a common ailment in babies and young children. Symptoms include excessive spitting up, pain after eating, feeding difficulties, frequent coughs, and fussiness or colic. Home treatment often relieves acid reflux without need for medication. Homeopathic remedies are a valuable addition to other home methods of treatment and can help prevent the need for medication.

  1. Acid Reflux

    • Know the cause of acid reflux and try home methods for treatment. These may solve the problem, and if not, the response to these efforts will help determine the appropriate homeopathic remedy to use. Acid reflux is caused by a malfunction of the ring of muscles connecting the esophagus to the stomach. When these muscles fail to close properly, stomach acid can reflux, or come back up into the esophagus. Home methods for reducing reflux include feeding the child smaller portions at more frequent intervals, limiting acid-forming foods, remaining in an upright position for at least an hour after eating, and elevating the head while sleeping.

    Homeopathy

    • Understand homeopathy before attempting to use it. Homeopathy does not work like medications that suppress symptoms. Instead it stimulates the body's innate healing ability by using natural ingredients in extremely diluted form. Remedies are chosen by examining the individual patient, including mental and emotional characteristics as well as physical symptoms. Not every patient with acid reflux will need the same remedy. Homeopathic remedies are labeled with a potency that consists of a number followed by X or C. This number refers to the number of times the substance has been diluted. In homeopathy, higher numbers are more potent even though they are more diluted.

    Professional Homeopathic Treatment

    • Consult an experienced homeopath for best results. A qualified homeopath will thoroughly examine the child and will ask numerous questions about the child's behavior and medical history as well as the specific symptoms related to acid reflux. The homeopath will choose the most appropriate remedy based on this examination and will monitor results and change the remedy protocol if necessary.

    Software for Choosing Remedies

    • Use software to help you choose an appropriate remedy on your own. The software will ask the same kinds of questions asked by a homeopath and will match symptoms to remedies. See the Resource section for a free online remedy finder. While this method can be successful, software does not have a trained homeopath's ability to analyze and interpret an individual child's needs.

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