Home Remedies For Heartburn
Ever felt an uncomfortable feeling of burning or warmth in the chest after consuming foods or liquids? Chances are you might be suffering from heartburn. This is not a problem involving the heart but rather digestive in nature and is related to meals and posture.
The contents in the stomach, including the acid, slip back up through the esophagus. The acid is the one responsible in giving the sizzling sensation you feel.
Aside from burning sensation felt in the chest or below the breastbone, you could also feel fullness or heaviness on your upper abdomen, excessive flatulence or burping, acid taste in the mouth, growling stomach, pain or pressure behind breastbone, or pain between neck and shoulders following ingestion of food or liquids.
It is still unknown as to why the heartburn happens. Most symptoms are related to too much consumption of food and liquid too fast, swallowing air, and emotional upset. Excessive smoking, eating and drinking are the most common causes of heartburn.
Here are some home remedies for heartburn that you can try after a sumptuous meal:
1. Take an antacid. It has been a traditional way to relieve the signs and symptoms of heartburn. Tablet and liquid form of over-the-counter antacids can aid in cooling down the burn. Take a dose every six hours as needed. Too much antacid can cause constipation or diarrhea if taken excessively.
2. Don’t forget your bedtime dose. Even if you forget to take an antacid during the day, try to remember to take one at bedtime to protect your stomach from pooling acids. It is said that night time damage is the most dangerous that will occur because you’re soaking your esophagus with acids due to your lying position thus you’re much more prone to burn.
3. Avoid bedtime snacks. It is a big no-no to sleep right after eating. Doctors recommend this so as not activating acid to digest the ingested food.
4. Say no to couch. Even if it is tempting to lie down on a couch, you have to pass on it for one hour. You should stay upright after eating.
5. Have a glass of milk. Calcium is the best remedy for acid reflux because it coats the acid. So either drink a glass of milk or indulge yourself on some yogurt or ice cream.
6. Lose the fat. Extra fat consumes space in your stomach. Fat presses against your stomach therefore increasing the chances to cause the acid to reflux.
7. Watch your diet. A high carbohydrate, low fat and high bulk diet is a best thing. Fried and fatty foods should be avoided because they take longer to digest. Spicy foods contribute to heartburn as well.
8. Slow down on soda. Carbonated beverages and soda pop also contribute to worsening heartburn. Carbonation causes stomach distention due to gas, and that causes acid rolling back into the esophagus.
9. Smoke not. Smokers tend to develop heartburn due to the nicotine from cigarette smoke that irritates the valve between the stomach and the stomach lining as well.
10. Avoid restrictive clothing. Wearing tight or restrictive clothing tends to increase the backing up of acids into the esophagus.
