How to get rid of heartburn

Heartburn is caused by getting stomach acid into the esophagus. The symptoms include having a burning sensation in your throat, a bad acid taste in your mouth, and lots of burping. Heartburn can be caused by eating too fast or eating certain foods that cause heartburn.

If you wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn, the best thing to do is get up right away. This is because of gravity - being in an upright position helps keep the acid down and out of your throat. Drinking a glass of cool water should help soothe the acid a bit. Stay in an upright position as long as it takes to get the acid to go back down. You can sleep with a few extra pillows to keep your head higher up to help keep the acid at bay a bit. It's generally a bad idea to go to bed immediately after eating, so try to avoid doing that in future.

Drinking milk is a common remedy for heartburn, because milk is known to neutralize acid. However, milk contains fats and proteins that can make the stomach secrete even more acid, so it can actually make heartburn even worse.

Mint is another thing people suggest to use for heartburn, but while they may soothe your throat, they relax the valve between the esophagus and your stomach, which is meant to keep the acid at bay. So if this valve relaxes, it can actually let more acid through and make the heartburn worse.

So what should you do, then? Here are some home remedies for heartburn:

• Eat some Yoghurt - a cupful of yoghurt can help with the digestion of food and and alleviate the heartburn a bit as well.
• Drink some ginger tea - this can ease heartburn and it's also very healthy and good for you anyway.
• Some people say that wearing a hazelwood necklace can help to neutralize the acidity of the body, but I personally don't understand why or how this could work. Worth a try, I suppose.
• Eat papaya - this is a natural remedy for heartburn, and it also helps with digestion.
• You can use 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 4 tablespoons of cold water if you need some fast emergency hearburn relief.
• Eat bananas - they're good for heartburn as well. But some people say that the bananas can make it worse as well, so your mileage may vary.
• Eat pineapple - this can also soothe heartburn.
• Mix two teaspoons of apple cider with half a cup of water, and drink this. Many people swear by this remedy.
• Eat some almonds - these are a simple remedy, but you need to have some space left in your stomach because these are somewhat filling.

What causes heartburn, and how to prevent it in the first place?

Having really large meals, and eating fast can cause heartburn. Eating food right before bed is also a bad thing, so if you must eat before bed, make sure it's atleast a couple of hours before you go sleep.

Drink a cup of green tea every day. The antioxidants in it will remove excess gas and some toxins as well.

Stay away from acidic drinks, like Coca Cola and other things with lots of gas in them. These can cause heartburn.

Sit upright while eating - this keeps the acid where it belongs and makes sure that everything ends up where it's supposed to.

Try to avoid wearing tight clothing around your waist while you're eating, this can put more pressure on your stomach area and pushes the acid up into your esophagus.

The more muscle you have in your general abdomen area, the less digestive problems you'll generally have, and it can also help to keep heartburn away. It's also a good idea to take a bit of a walk after each meal.

Some medications can irritate your stomach and cause heartburn. Aspirin is one of them. So if you have to take one of these medicines, be sure to take it along with something else that reduces heartburn as well.

Antacids may help with heartburn, but natural remedies are generally better than taking drugs. It's better to prevent it in the first place than take extra things to cure it.

If you get heartburn really often, or if the pain is really serious, or if you get heartburn and vomiting at the same time, you should visit a doctor because you might have something more serious, like an ulcer.

About The Author:
I'm a student in Canada. I like learning new things on my own, but don't like to be told how to learn. I also like writing. Interests: fitness, martial arts, writing, photography, games, psychology, alternative education... and more.
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Posted in: Health by Logan on October 17, 2010 @ 4:00 pm

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Tags: get rid of heartburn, heartburn home remedy, home remedy for heartburn, natural remedies for heartburn