Home Remedies For Heartburn
Effective Home Remedies For Heartburn
There are a number of fairly well known home remedies for heartburn, and if you're afflicted with the problem, it’s very likely that one or more of these remedies will work for you. Heartburn is a sensation that most everyone experiences at one time or another. There is nothing particularly serious involved when one experiences heartburn as long as they are relatively few and far between. Heartburn can be as common as a stomach ache, and in fact is not usually quite as unpleasant. Infants often experience heartburn, it being a relatively common occurrence in that age group.
What is happening is an excess of acid is produced in the stomach for whatever reason, and some of this acid may back up into the esophagus. The symptoms may include a sour taste in the mouth, or a pain, at times rather sharp, in the throat down into the chest. The chest pain can sometimes be mistaken as a cardiac problem. Mild cases of heartburn are more often than not treated by taking an antacid pill, or drinking something designed to soothe an upset stomach.
There are usually several things in the average kitchen that can be brought into play as effective home remedies for heartburn, the goal being to relieve the pain, and soothe the throat. Anything that will neutralize the stomach acids or coat the lining of the esophagus is a candidate for heartburn relief. It's important to remember however, that treating the symptoms does not always remove the underlying cause, and if you are suffering frequent incidents of heartburn, you should see a doctor, and not just rely on home remedies for relief. Frequent attacks of heartburn can eventually result in chronic and serious problems.
While most home remedies for heartburn consist of something you put in your mouth and swallow, some of the more effective remedies consist of not what you eat, but what you don't eat or what you do. In other words, effectively fighting heartburn may require some lifestyle adjustments, and we'll start with those.
Eat Less, Eat Slower - A frequent cause of heartburn is eating too much in a single sitting. The remedy? Eat smaller portions, and smaller meals overall. "Grazing", on healthy foods, is much better for you than are one or two large meals. Another frequent cause of heartburn is eating too much just before bed time. Eating a large meal, and then lying down immediately afterwards is never a particularly good idea. Standing up and moving around is far better. Eating late can bring on nighttime attacks of heartburn. The remedy? Cut back to a light snack no later than an hour before bedtime.
The Hard Choices - Are you a smoker? Quit. That's of course not an easy one for most, but smoking, and nicotine in particular, is a trigger for heartburn. In severe cases, a difficult choice may have to be made, and quitting smoking and withdrawal from the habit is seldom very enjoyable. Excessive consumption of alcohol is also a major factor behind heartburn. Now you have to quit drinking as well and can't have any fun any more. Sometimes, this is the price to be paid.
Food That Hurts - Chances are though, it's what you eat that cause the most trouble. Rather than totally avoid everything that can possibly cause heartburn, you might be better off keeping track of what you're eating to determine what triggers heartburn and what doesn't. Foods and beverages that might cause a problem include tomatoes, citrus fruits, coffee, garlic, spicy foods, chocolate, fatty foods, and carbonated beverages, to name a few. Leaves you with a rather bland diet doesn't it? Not really, there are still plenty of fruits and vegetables, not to mention meat and fish, that won't cause a problem. If you love grapefruit juice and a cup of coffee in the morning, and it doesn't give you heartburn, great. If it does on occasion, try cutting back. If it always does, then you may have to find a substitute.
Food That Helps - Once you've made a few changes, if you're still having some problems, some popular home remedies for heartburn include, bananas, apples, potatoes, and carrots. You might think that pineapple juice may be a little acidic, but it's often effective against heartburn. Several spices, including cinnamon and nutmeg will give you relief, and ginger is probably the best spice of all. Aloe vera juice has its proponents. Drink processed juice though, not juice directly from the plant, as the raw juice contains compounds that may make your situation worse.
In summary, there are many home remedies for heartburn that are effective. For them to be most effective, you may have to make some lifestyle adjustments. And if the condition doesn't improve over time, see your doctor.