what are the best remedies for heartburn
food tastes great doesn't
it, every bite can fill us with flavor and taste so much. so that we start
wishing some times that we could just continue to eat for a lifetime without
doing anything else. it would have been great anyways the experience of eating
is awesome and then the food passes through our mouths and enters the stomach.
the job of the taste buds is done or at
least it should have been. the problem starts when the food that tasted great a
few hours earlier returns to the mouth with a tinge of sourness and a lot of
discomfort to the throat and the chest. this is heartburn and it is not a
pleasant thing to experience.
we're gonna look at the causes of heart burn and we will also share with you six natural remedies that you can try before taking any medication. let's start with somethings that can lead to heartburn or acid reflux. factors leading to heartburn, three major factors lead to acid reflux and heartburn. let's look at each one separately.
No 1. food or acids are poorly cleared from stomach.
when the food doesn't get digested completely then instead of going down it can start climbing up. this occurs for some reasons are eating large meals, lying down after eating, excessive bending at the waist after eating and snacking close to bedtime.
No 2. emptying of stomach is delayed
The food that enters the stomach should not just sit there. it needs to be emptied as soon as the work of stomach acids is done. if it doesn't then we can suffer from heartburn. some of the things that can lead to a delay in emptying of the stomach include pregnancy, hypothyroidism, viral stomach infections, excess acid in the stomach.
this is the most common reason for acid reflux. certain foods lead to an increase in levels of stomach acids. these include eating fatty food and citrus foods, carbonated beverages, tea and coffee. often people turn towards medication to relieve their heartburn but it can not only worsen things but the side effect of some medicines like lansoprazole are pretty scary. some of the side effects of lansoprazole include headaches, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation. so before going for medication it is best to first try out some natural remedies. you should consult the doctor when the symptoms are severe.
now let's look at six natural remedies to treat heartburn
No 1. the heartburn's prohibitions
to gain something of value you should be willing to give up on certain things. if you want to treat your heartburn then you need to give up on certain foods or at least reduce their amounts and frequency of intake. the first thing that needs to go is smoking. smoking is bad for your health on so many levels that this article won't be enough to just describe its harmful effects.
but for our purpose it should be sufficient that smoking reduces the amount of saliva in our mouths and saliva is very effective in neutralizing the excess acids and also for keeping the esophagus clean. not only that but smoking can also interfere with the normal working of the valve that's on top of our stomach. this valve is responsible for keeping checks on the acids to keep them from escaping.
the other thing to avoid is coffee or caffeine for that matter as caffeine can relax the lower esophageal sphincter or the stomach valve that we just talked about. you can imagine what happens next when the guards go to sleep, the prisoners escape which in our case are stomach acids. so coffee might be causing your acid reflux problem. if you can't quit it at least lower its quantity and frequency.
the next item on our list is carbonated beverages this one should pretty much be obvious who hasn't experienced loud burping after having a glass of cola. this burping can also be linked with the escape of acids into the esophagus. studies show that regular consumption of these fizzy drinks increases the risk of acid reflux.
the next item is citrus fruits. this might be a bit surprising. since people usually go towards fruits. when something is wrong with their stomach and digestive system. citrus juices have a large amount of acid in them and that could aggravate the already agitated situation of acids. other things that should be avoided include mint, garlic, onions and fried foods.
No 2. change the lifestyle
when the stuff that you eat which is supposed to be on a one-way road to exit starts coming back up you know there's a problem and you need to change somethings around acid reflux has less to do with our jeans and more to do with our life style. for example if you have a habit of snacking before going to bed then that might be the problem.
similarly if you are a fan of big meals rather than small frequent ones then that could also lead to heartburn. you should also reschedule your meals a bit so that there is always some sort of activity in between going to bed and dinner. these things might seem trivial but they can not only treat your as reflux issue. but they would also be beneficial for your overall health in the long run.
No. 3 try to wear loose clothing.
you may complain about acid reflux problems like it's some natural calamity. but you might be the only one to blame here if you're wearing tight belts and clothing you may be squeezing your stomach too much and what happens when you squeeze things their contents come running out. that's exactly what can happen with our stomachs.
wearing tighter clothing especially around the waist area can make it difficult to breathe for our stomach. so the stomach creates that space by sending some of the stuff that you ate back towards you. that is what acid reflux is. so before your stomach fails to keep his contents from escaping and wreaking havoc in your esophagus.
you better give it the breathing space it needs. you know what i get it. the trend of wearing tight clothing is a thing these days. so if you cannot give up on them then you may want to lose some weight especially the fat around the stomach that should free up some space.
No 4. chew some gum
you won't find an easier remedy for acid reflux just chew some gum. preferably the one containing bicarbonates as it can help clear your esophagus up and relieve your heartburn.
what's so special about chewing gum you may ask. well, gum stimulates your salivary glands to produce more saliva and saliva being alkaline can neutralize the stomach acid that's floating around in your throat and esophagus. there are a few studies that point towards this but more research needs to be done. in the meanwhile try chewing a stick of gum for half an hour and see if it helps.
No 5. apple cider vinegar
apple cider vinegar can help you with heartburn problems. this is a bit controversial since one group reports the benefit of apple cider and treating acid reflux while the other is of the view that it can make matters worse. the group that is in favour suggesting that the acid content of vinegar can help to maintain acid levels in the stomach.
since heartburn can also suggest a lowered level of acid in the stomach. the other group suggests that since acid reflux is mostly due to excess acid in the stomach. it would be like throwing fuel to fire. we respect both of the views but since there is not much harm in trying this remedy for a small to a mild level of acid burn. you can try this out and see if it helps out. speaking of apple cider vinegar we haven't even scratched the surface of its many benefits
No 6. you should change your sleeping position
don't worry this is not about superstitions. studies show that sleeping on the left side can help reduce instances of heartburn. the reason can be found through a little study of human anatomy it turns out that the stomach opening that's connected with the esophagus is a little towards our right side.
so when we sleep on our left side this opening is a bit above the stomach acids and it could help to keep the contents of the stomach where they belong.
similarly when we sleep on the right side then the acids will always be pushing on opening increasing the risk of acid reflux. another thing to try is to elevate your head and chest above the feet. you can do that by putting pieces of wood under your bed post or placing a foam wedge under the mattress.
finally to summarize heartburn is the burning sensation that occurs in the esophagus and can be felt around the chest area.
an excess amount of acid in the stomach being the most common. people usually go towards the pills when they experience heartburn. but these pills have side effects that can backfire on you. you can try natural remedies instead like avoiding certain foods, changing sleeping positions, chewing gum etc.
however if the problem persists and the symptoms start to worsen then your best bet is to visit a doctor and get yourself checked.