Heartburn is extremely uncomfortable yet extremely common, and it's not always clear what causes it. Some people say 'don't eat so much' or 'don't eat so fast'. Others blame spicy foods, while others still blame acids. But the long-term goal of everyone is the same: how to pinpoint - and avoid - your personal heartburn triggers.
1Make sure to eat healthy first.Ad
2Stay upright. If you're standing, gravity helps keep acid in your stomach. Avoid bending over after a meal and try not to lie down no matter how bad you feel.
3Drink a large glass of water as soon as you feel the first flicker of a heartburn. The water will wash the acid back down your esophagus and into your stomach.
4Drink heartburn-easing tea.
- Add a teaspoon of freshly grated root ginger to a cup of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes, and drink. Long used to quell the nausea caused by motion sickness, ginger can help to relax the muscles that line the walls of the esophagus. The stomach acid then doesn't get pushed upwards.
- A tea made from anise, caraway or fennel seed can also ease the burn, according to herbalists. Add 2 teaspoons to a cup of boiling water, let sit for 10 minutes, strain, and drink.
- Add a teaspoon of powdered bark into a cup of hot water and drink a few cups throughout the day.
5Drink a tablespoon of vinegar. This may seem contrary, because vinegar is very acidic. However, an excess of acid is not always the cause of heartburn. The esophagus is supposed to close off from the stomach when it comes in contact with acid. If this is not functioning properly, even normal amounts of stomach acid can cause heartburn. The acidic shock of drinking a tablespoon of vinegar can cause the esophagus to close, thus preventing acid from rising. It will burn as you swallow it, but within seconds the heartburn will be cured.
- If the taste of the vinegar is too strong for you, you can mix it with a glass of apple cider. This may lessen the effectiveness. Experiment with more or less amounts of cider to see what tastes acceptable to you and still works effectively.
6Generate and swallow extra saliva. Saliva helps neutralize stomach acid, so chew on a piece of sugar-free gum or daydream about juicy steaks.
7Drink vegetable juices, like carrot, cucumber, radish, or beetroot. Their alkalinity helps tame the acid in the stomach. Feel free to add a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor. If juicing vegetables doesn't appeal to you, you can eat the vegetables raw.
8Mix half a teaspoon of bicarb and a few drops of lemon juice in half a cup of warm water. Don't drink the diluted bicarb on its own: you need the lemon juice to dispel some of the gas which bicarb creates in the stomach when it comes into contact with stomach acid.
- Limonene, a compound in lemons, helps short circuit the production of the acid in the stomach. Try squeezing the juice of one lemon into a glass of water and drink.
9Drink a glass of whole milk. It's not just good for your bones!
10Eat a whole apple. This helps most but not all people.
11Take antacids such as Tums or Rolaids, or drink Pepto-Bismol. These almost always help heartburn, though you may need to eat two.
12Mix some baking soda (AKA sodium bicarbonate) with water and drink the solution. Your stomach produces hydrochloric acid in order to digest food. This is a strong acid which is very corrosive, and causes the burn in your chest. You can neutralize some of the acid by consuming a base. It doesn't taste good, but it will bring the pH of the liquid in your stomach up so it isn't so corrosive which will help ease the burn.
13See a doctor if heartburn persists or gets worse. In the long term, it can cause damage, such as ulcers, or might be a symptom of another condition.
14Try herbal remedies for GERD: Herbs have been used since many ages to reduce the hyper secretion of gastric acid. Before the invention of newer drugs like H-2 receptor blockers and Proton Pump Inhibitors, only herbal remedies were available to treat the symptoms of gastric acid reflux. Herbs such as Glycerrhiza glabra or liquorice, Asparagus racemosus, Santalum album, Cyperus rotundus, Rubia Cordifolia, Ficus bengalensis, Fumaria parviflora, Bauhinia variegate, Mangifera indica, , , are quite effective to reduce the gastric acid secretion, to heal the erosions of the soft mucosal linings of stomach and esophagus, to eliminate the infections such as H.Pylori. A formulation of these herbs in the form of an herbal tea or decoction relieves the heartburn. Similarly tablets containing these herbs may also relieve the heartburn. Resonance homeopathic medicines like Natrum Phos and Argentum nit also help in GERD. Studies suggest that Natrum Phos may work by kick-starting the repair of damaged tissues. Studies suggest that Argentums nit may neutralize the acid present in the stomach for fast relief from heartburn.Ad
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- Try sleeping on your left side. When you lie on your left side, the stomach hangs down and fluids pool along the greater curvature, away from the lower esophageal sphincter. Pooled fluids thus stay farther away from the esophagus.
- Put your arms in the air and stretch for 2-5 minutes, then drink a cup of water.
- Stay away from alcoholic drinks no matter how tempting they look.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals to minimize the production of stomach acid. And avoid eating too much in one sitting; doing so can force open the lower esophageal sphincter, the thick ring of muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus and keeps stomach acid where it belongs.
- Avoid smoking if till the symptoms reside completely.
- Chew an almond or two thoroughly till it's just flour. Somehow the almond oil and juice calms the acids.
- Wear loose fitting clothes around the abdomen.
- Chew food properly. It helps if you count your chews or savoring the taste.
- Avoid stretching, especially ones that require upside down positions.
- Chewing certain mint gums can help temporary relief to the problem in some cases.
- Don't exercise right after you eat. Wait at least an hour for vigorous workouts, and 30 minutes for lighter exercise.
- Drink a lot of milk(try not to have milk that is too cold).
- Let foods and drinks cool before consuming
- If nighttime heartburn plagues you, eat meals at least two to three hours before you go to bed. The added time will give acid levels a chance to decrease before you lie down.
- Add a drop of pure essential peppermint in a cup of water.
- For a permanent solution, lose some mass, if overweight
- You might also raise the head of your bed 10–15 centimeter (3.9–5.9 in) with large wooden blocks or old phone books. When you sleep tilted at an angle, gravity helps to keep acid in the stomach.
- When heartburn symptoms become severe, keep you up at night, or occur at least twice a week, you may have Acid Reflux Disease. If not controlled, this can lead to esophageal cancer. If heartburn persists, it is advisable to see a doctor.
- If taking baking soda to get rid or heartburn, remember that this chemical has a large amount of sodium. If you are on a low-sodium diet try to use alternative, non-sodium antacids.
- If you experience discolored, cold, and/or clammy skin, in addition to rapid heartbeat, seek medical attention immediately. This not heartburn, but rather a heart attack.
Categories: Intestinal and Digestive Health
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