Home Heartburn Remedies
Home heartburn remedies are some of the best ways to reduce or eliminate that unpleasant burning feeling also known as acid reflux. This is where the contents of the stomach, especially the acid contained therein, travel back up from the stomach through the esophageal sphincter, into the back of the throat. The esophageal sphincter is the value designed to prevent this from occurring on a regular basis. When it does in fact occur, the experience is known as heartburn. Although that name "heartburn" is technically a misnomer (i.e., the heart is not really burning), it is a rather accurate description of the feeling: that certain unpleasant "burning" discomfort between the neck and the stomach.
Until the symptoms of heartburn keep repeating until heartburn relief is achieved. In fact, heartburn symptoms include stomach pain, chest pain, and even belching. Unfortunately, when someone experiencing heartburn belches, even more stomach acid may be brought back up through the esophagus, leading to even more severe heartburn.
Generally speaking, experiencing heartburn is not that serious. Most consumers have minimal symptoms without even knowing it. That is because when food and drink is consumed, it triggers saliva production which washing the acids back into the stomach where they belong. The real problem occurs, however, when more acid reflux happens than can be readily handled or when it occurs over a long period of time.
Of course, there are many prescription medications ad over-the-counter medicines available to treat heartburn available on the market today. However, if you are like many consumers, the ideal method of curing heartburn is one that does not involve excessive medicines and pills but, instead, utilizes natural heartburn remedies.
The following are some of the best home heartburn remedies.
First and foremost, the best way to avoid heartburn is to stop it at the source. In a nutshell, this means that you will need to control the acid found in your stomach. Obviously, the less available to be repeated through your system, the less that is available to give you heartburn. There are many over-the-counter forms of heartburn medications that are designed to stop stomach acid from forming. These are also known as histamine (also known as H2) blockers and two popular versions sold at pharmacies are sold under the product labels of Tagamet (cimetidine) and Zantac 75 (ranitidine). Another type of over-the-counter medications available to assist in the reduction of stomach acid are proton pump inhibitors (also known as PPI's). However, yet other drugs that have been shown to reduce stomach acid are only available by prescription. The most popular of these is Prilosec (omeprazole).
A second method of type of over-the-counter medication that can assist in reducing the symptoms of heartburn is an antacid. These are helpful in that they can be safely consumed every six hours and are available in tablet or liquid form. One side effect associated with antacid consumption is gastrointestinal discomfort such as constipation or diarrhea. In any event, if you find that taking an antacid helps stop heartburn, it is important to remember to take it at night as stomach acids tend to pool in the stomach at night as a result of the body's horizontal positioning. Unfortunately, the damage associated with acid reflux that occurs at night is much more damaging to the esophagus so it is important to treat heartburn properly.
Third, elevation plays a major role in efforts to eliminate heartburn. Specifically, if you can keep your head elevated at night while you sleep, you can help protect the esophagus. This is accomplished by using gravity to your benefit and keeping the stomach acids from traveling up the throat while you sleep.
Fourth, your activities after you eat can play an important part of preventing heartburn. For anyone who plopped down on the couch immediately after a large meal, it is clear that that is usually not the best of ideas. A general rule is that you should not lie down on the couch (or your bed) for at least one hour after the conclusion of your meal. Ideally, however, the best amount of time to wait before you lie down is between two to three hours after finishing your meal. This is true because that is about the amount of time it takes for the stomach to digest the food and vacate the stomach.
Fifth, paying careful attention to what your drink can also assist in your efforts to avoid heartburn. Primarily, alcoholic beverages have been shown to irritate the stomach. Obviously, anything that irritates the stomach can lead to heartburn problems. With that said, caffeine products are one of the worse heartburn offenders. Specifically, caffeine has been shown to relax the esophageal sphincter which, in turn, causes acid reflux. Additionally, do not forget that sodas are equally offensive in the heartburn department. Not only do they have caffeine, the carbon dioxide in the soda products can stomach distention, resulting in to belching along with reflux.
Moreover, when you drink liquids is just as important as what liquids are consumed. Research has shown that it is best to drink liquids only between meals and not during meals. This is because liquids increase the volume of contents in your stomach and, as a result, some may be forced out of the stomach but in the wrong direction.
Sixth, smoking is one of the worst things you can do if you are looking to prevent heartburn. In fact, any product that contains nicotine needs to be removed from your daily habits. This is a scientific fact because it has been absolutely shown that it irritates the stomach lining as well as the esophageal sphincter. As a result, those that smoke are more likely to experience heartburn issues.
Seventh, try to relax more often. Stress has been conclusively shown to be one of the worst severe heartburn triggers due to the fact that it causes increased acid secretion.
Each of these simple steps have been shown to be effective home heartburn remedies.
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Comments
This is probably one of the best information-rich articles I've read here on IB in a very long time. Great job!
As for heartburn, it sucks. Big time. I've been getting it more and more recently, and I'm going to take your suggestions into consideration. Thanks.
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