A chronic or persistent cough is something we normally put down to a Flu infection or some kind of allergy.
What many of us don't associate a cough with is acid reflux.
However, acid reflux cough is a common and much overlooked symptom.
These days I hear more and more people with cases of heartburn and problems with their digestion.
These can be isolated incidents, however I have noticed a worrying trend that more people are having the symptoms of acid reflux on a more regular basis.
In many cases these symptoms are so severe, that people can barely sleep at night or live a normal life.
But why are these conditions on the increase? Acid reflux is caused when stomach acid invades the oesophagus - this is your food pipe.
Stomach acid is corrosive, it irritates the thin lining of the food pipe and results in a burning sensation called heartburn.
A cough can result when the oesophagus reacts to the acid by contracting and expanding rapidly.
When it comes to the treatment of these symptoms a doctor will often suggest antacid pills.
These can be bought in any pharmacy or drug store.
What these antacids do is settle your stomach by neutralising the acid.
In cases where there are more severe symptoms of heartburn, stronger medications will be prescribed.
These are commonly known as PPI's or pump prime inhibitors.
They are designed to reduce the amount of acids in your stomach.
I am not against pharmaceutical drugs - in certain advanced cases of ill health they may benefit - but in relation to acid reflux medications, they do not address the real issue - what is causing the excessive acid in the first place? Acid reflux is a digestive disorder that is made worse by a digestion system that is out of balance.
Many of the causes of excess acid in the stomach can be attributed to eating foods that are acid forming.
These include all processed foods, fried foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
These irritate the thin ling of your stomach and this triggers more acid production.
Many of the medications that I have just mentioned inhibit the production of acid.
You may think this is good as it's going to relieve my acid reflux.
In the short this can work however, there are long term health complications to this.
A lack of acid in the stomach is also bad for your health.
Acid is essential for breaking down hard to digest foods, such as meat and other protein foods.
If there is not enough acid, these foods can remain undigested in your digestive tract, where it can turn toxic and create a breeding ground for bad bacteria.
Undigested food in the gut is precursor to many digest disorders, including gut infections, constipation, IBS and even the risk of colon related cancer.
However, if you're looking for a natural way to gain relief from acid reflux cough there are simple ways to do it.
First of all look at what you're eating and identity the foods that are making your symptoms worse.
For example, choose one food and remove it for a week and see if it makes a difference to your symptoms.
If your symptoms improve, then you know it is definitely that one that triggers your cough.
As I pointed out earlier, there are foods that are known to cause acid reflux therefore, try to remove them from your diet or at least reduce the quantities you eat.
As you're gradually removing these foods, begin to introduce more high fibre foods as these will aid your digestion.
Start eating more fruit and vegetables, however avoid citrus fruits and tomatoes for the time being as they are acid forming