Heartburn is a burning sensation that is felt around the area the front of the trunk of the body from the stomach up to the upper chest. It is one of the primary symptoms of a medical condition called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or more commonly known as acid reflux. This happens when the muscle called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter, found at the connecting point between the esophagus and the stomach allows acid material to regurgitate back into the esophagus. The esophagus does not contain a mucous lining like the stomach that protects it from the acids burning effect.

There are some fantastic cures for heartburn that don’t require to you take handfuls of pills. Practicing proper prevention techniques are always much easier than having to deal with the irritation of heartburn. Though, if you do get heartburn there are some great home remedies available as well.

While heartburn is generally caused by GERD, it mostly occurs during or after the following activities:

  • Heavy lifting
  • Consuming a heavy meal
  • Bending over
  • Lying on your back

Heartburn from GERD is caused when acid from the stomach regurgitates back to the esophagus. Because the esophagus does not have the same mucous lining that the stomach has, acids cause that burning sensation. Regurgitation is not a normal occurrence since a sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach is supposed to prevent that from happening.

GERD treatment is normally done through medication and involves changes in lifestyle such as weight management through exercise and dieting. Drugs can vary depending on the severity of acid reflux. For minor cases, antacids can be used to reduce stomach acidity. Heartburn home remedies also will usually help with this type of heartburn. For more severe cases, H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors are drugs that minimize the production of gastric acids.

Other than medication, diet can significantly reduce heartburn. Listed below are some eating tips that you can apply to reduce heartburn:

  • Avoid taking soda or any carbonated drinks;
  • Reduce your intake of drinks or food associated with caffeine, chocolates, alcohol and mints. For coffee drinkers, this applies to both decaffeinated and caffeinated;
  • Stop smoking;
  • While there is no proof that low or high fat food contribute to the risk of heartburn, keep away from saturated fats altogether, especially if overweight;
  • Use skim or low fat dairy products;
  • Take lots of fruits and vegetables except those that are highly acidic such as grapefruit, oranges, lime and pineapple;
  • Avoid tough meat, pasta, doughy bread, and vegetables with their skin on them.

Heartburn more often than not happens at night thus there are a few practical actions one should take if they are experiencing heartburn. Listed below are some of them:

  • Don’t sleep immediately after a meal. Go for a walk or stand upright after dinner;
  • Avoid midnight snacks. In fact, the last meal taken should be at least two hours before sleeping;
  • Try sleeping on your left side as opposed to your right side which makes the stomach higher than esophagus thus putting pressure on the sphincter muscles;
  • Sleeping in a tilted or a semi sitting position can help keep gastric acids inside the stomach. Make sure that it is the entire body that is lifted and not just the head which can cause result in more acid reflux.

Heartburn remedies offered by a doctor typically involve some type of medication, the most common of which are antacids. For more severe cases there are other types of medication that can be used. The different types of medication can classed as H2 Blockers, Proton Inhibitors, or through a surgical procedure.

H2 blockers and its more potent counterpart, Proton inhibitors act by reducing the production of gastric acid. They perform this action by focusing on different areas of gastric acid production. Surgery on the other hand, involves wrapping the upper part of the stomach around the sphincter muscles thereby reducing the chances of acid reflux.

Natural Remedies for Heartburn

Now if the above prevention techniques don’t work, here are a few natural remedies you can try to relieve heartburn:

  • Milk – In the same way that consuming dairy relieves the burn from spicy foods, milk can quell the pain of heartburn. It also helps to dilute the excess acid you may have in your stomach.
  • Water – While water doesn’t directly help with the pain of heartburn, it will dilute the amount of acid in your stomach.
  • Peppermint – The menthol in peppermint has been shown to ease the pain from heartburn.

These simple tricks should provide relief for heartburn. However, if these prevention techniques don’t work and if you constantly suffer from heartburn, see a physician and have yourself checked for GERD. It is important to note that GERD can develop into more serious ailments that can be harmful to both the esophagus and stomach. Furthermore, heartburn can be caused by other materials from the stomach such as bile, in which case, the proper medication must be prescribed.

natural remedies for heartburn