Understanding Acid Reflux: How MedCline™ Reflux Relief System Works

Dive into the anatomy of acid reflux and learn how the MedCline™ Reflux Relief System is designed to alleviate symptoms and improve your sleep quality. Aaron Clark, a mechanical engineer and co-developer of MedCline™, explains how the anatomy of the stomach affects acid reflux, particularly at night. Using a model of the stomach, he highlights key components, including the pyloric sphincter (the exit valve of the stomach) and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is a circular band of muscles that allows food to enter the stomach and is supposed to prevent it from flowing back into the esophagus.

During the day, gravity helps prevent reflux when you're upright, but at night, when lying on your back, the LES may malfunction, allowing stomach acid and contents to enter the esophagus, causing heartburn and reflux. Traditional methods like bed wedges or elevating the head of the bed are only partially effective because they can cause the user to slide down, leaving the upper body and stomach flat, which does little to prevent reflux.

Doctors often recommend sleeping on the left side to reduce reflux because when you lie on your right side, the LES may become submerged in stomach acid, increasing the chance of reflux. However, sleeping on the left side keeps the LES below the stomach's acid level, reducing the likelihood of acid entering the esophagus. Even when sleeping on the left side, the stomach may squeeze food back toward the esophagus if the LES is weak.

MedCline™ was developed to address these issues by combining a superior incline with left-side positioning. The incline not only keeps the stomach contents away from the LES but also allows gravity to work more effectively in pulling reflux back down if it occurs. This dual benefit reduces the number of reflux episodes and shortens their duration. Learn more at (https://www.medcline.com)

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