Heartburn Acid Reflux



How to Relieve Heartburn



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 cite acids or acid suppressors. But the long-term goal of everyone is the same: how to pinpoint - and avoid - your personal heartburn triggers.

Steps

  1. Stay 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.
  2. Drink 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.
  3. Drink 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.
  4. Drink 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.
  5. Generate and swallow extra saliva. Saliva helps neutralize stomach acid, so chew on a piece of sugar-free gum or daydream about juicy steaks.
  6. Drink 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.
  7. Mix 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.
  8. Drink a glass of whole milk. It's not just good for your bones!
  9. Eat a whole apple. This helps most but not all people.
  10. Take antacids such as Tums or Rolaids, or drink Pepto-Bismol. These almost always help heartburn, though you may need to eat two.
  11. Mix 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.
  12. See 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.



Tips

  • If night time 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.
  • You might also raise the head of your bed 10-15cm with large wooden blocks or old phone books. When you sleep tilted at an angle, gravity helps to keep acid in the stomach.
  • 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. *chew an almond or two thoroughly till it's just flour. Somehow the almond oil and juice calms the acids.
  • 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.

Warnings

  • 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 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.
  • 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.