Never apply ice or an ice pack directly to your skin. Make sure to wrap the ice pack in a thin cloth or towel before placing it on your skin. This will prevent damage to your skin tissue.

If you find yourself relying on OTC pain medications for more than a week, talk with your doctor. Your doctor might be able to prescribe a stronger pain medication.

If your reflux symptoms don’t improve after several days, you should see your doctor. If left untreated, reflux can severely damage your esophagus. Instead, your doctor can prescribe medications that treat the reflux and heal your digestive organs.

Supports or trusses should only be worn for a short period of time. You should realize that they won’t heal your hernia. [4] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

Acupuncture may relieve your hernia pain, but you should still seek medical treatment to treat the actual hernia.

If you are experiencing unusual pain with your hernia and you have been diagnosed with an abdominal, inguinal or femoral hernia, call your physician or the ER right away– the pain could indicate a medical emergency.

If your hernia doesn’t bother you often and your doctor believes it to be small, the doctor may not recommend surgery.

Try to avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before going to bed. This will prevent food from putting pressure on your stomach muscles as you try to fall asleep. You may also want to change your diet to reduce excess stomach acid. Avoid high fat foods, chocolate, peppermint, alcohol, onions, tomatoes, and citrus. [8] X Research source

When you constrict your stomach or abdomen, you can cause recurrent hernias and make hyperacidity worse. The acid in your stomach can be forced back into your esophagus.

Try to lose weight slowly. Aim to lose no more than a pound or two a week. Talk to your doctor about adjusting your diet and exercise plan.

Bring your knees up so that your legs are slightly bent. Place a pillow in between your legs and use your thigh muscles to squeeze the pillow. Relax your muscles and repeat this stretch ten times. Keep your hands at your sides and lift your knees off the ground and into the air. Using both legs, do a pedaling motion in the air. Keep doing this until you feel muscle strain in your abdomen. Bring your knees up so that your legs are slightly bent. Place your hands on the back of your head and bend your torso up by about 30 degrees. Your torso should be closer to your knees. Hold this position and carefully recline. You can repeat this 15 times.

Smoking will make it harder for your body to heal after the surgery and it can raise your blood pressure during the surgery. Smoking also increases your risk for developing recurrent hernias and infection from surgery.

Studies have shown that shepherd’s purse is an anti-inflammatory. [14] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source It can also prevent infection.

Consider drinking fennel tea to settle your stomach and reduce the acid in your stomach. Crush up a teaspoon of fennel seeds and steep them in a cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drink 2 to 3 cups a day. You can also drink powdered or prepared mustard dissolved in water or drink chamomile tea. All of these are anti-inflammatory and can calm your stomach by reducing acid. [16] X Research source Vemulapall, R. Diet and Lifestyle Modifications in the Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Nutr Clin Pract June 2008 vol. 23 no. 3 293-298.

Be aware that licorice root can cause a lack of potassium in your body, which can lead to heart arrhythmias. Talk to your doctor if you take large quantities of licorice or use it for more than two weeks. Slippery elm is another herbal supplement to try as a drink or tablet. It coats and soothes irritated tissues and is safe to use during pregnancy. [18] X Research source Petry JJ, Hadley SK. Medicinal herbs: answers and advice, Part 2. Hosp Pract (1995). 2001 Aug 15;36(8):55-9.

A variation of this approach is to make you own lemonade or limeade. Just mix a few teaspoons of pure lemon or lime juice and add water to taste. If you want, add a bit of honey to the drink. Drink this before, during and after meals.

Studies have shown that aloe vera syrup can treat symptoms of acid reflux by reducing inflammation and neutralizing stomach acid. [21] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source