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Is there a way of getting a good nights sleep? |
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Elevation to the head of the bed is the next-easiest to implement. If one implements pharmacologic therapy in combination with food avoidance before bedtime and elevation of the head of the bed over 95% of patients will have complete relief. Additional conservative measures can be considered if there is incomplete relief. Another approach is to advise all conservative measures to maximize response.
Elevating the head of the bed can be accomplished by using blocks as noted above ("cinderblocks" commonly available at hardware stores in the United States are the lowest cost solution) or with other items: plastic or wooden bed risers which support bed posts or legs, a bed wedge pillow, or an inflatable mattress lifter that fits in between mattress and box spring. The height of the elevation is critical and must be within the range of 6 to 8 inches in order to be as effective as possible in hindering the backflow of gastric fluids. Elevating the bed is also known as "positional therapy".
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