Home Remedies for Heartburn

Heartburn could be just a minor discomfort after eating a heavy meal or it could be a chronic condition affecting quality of your life. Contrary to popular belief, this health condition has nothing to do with the heart. It is just called so because of the pain or burning sensation near the heart. Fortunately, it is usually only a temporary condition that can be treated.

What is Heartburn?

Heartburn (also known as acid reflux) is caused due to stomach acid spilling into the esophagus (food pipe) and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. Cells on the stomach wall secrete an acid, which helps to digest food. But the stomach sometimes regurgitates into the esophagus (gastric reflux), causing the acid to come in contact with the esophageal wall, which results in heartburn. Heartburn is a major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Acid reflux does not occur because there is too much acid created by the stomach, but because the muscular barrier or valve between the esophagus and the stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) opens prematurely allowing acid, bile and other stomach contents into the esophagus.

What are the symptoms of heartburn?

The symptoms of heartburn are:

• Feeling of discomfort or pain in the upper part of the abdomen
• Decreased appetite
• Pain when swallowing food
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Flatulence
• Dehydration
• Presence of blood in vomit or in stools.

What can I do about it?

You can treat the occurrences of heartburn with these simple tips:

• Put a few fresh peppermint leaves in boiling water for 4 to 6 minutes, strain the peppermint leaves; add honey to taste and sip your peppermint tea slowly.
• Ginger helps settle your stomach, aids in the digestive process and neutralizes acid. Add 1.5 teaspoons of ginger root to 1 cup water, simmer for 10 minutes and drink.
• Eat fresh Papaya or drink Papaya juice as Papaya is a natural heartburn remedy.
• Chew a sugarless gum or suck on a hard candy. This increases the production of saliva which neutralizes stomach acid and washes it away from your esophagus.
• Bananas act as a natural antacid in the body easing heartburn.
• Apples are great acid neutralizers and can cool the burn of stomach acid. Eat them fresh, with the skin still on.
• Turmeric (haldi) helps stimulate digestion and prevent acid build-up. Thus by adding turmeric you make your food easy to digest.
• Fennel (saunf) is effective for acidic stomach as it relieves abdominal pain, colon disorders, gas, gastrointestinal tract spasms.
• Sweet lemon juice before meals serves as an effective home remedy for hyperacidity and heartburn.

How do I prevent heartburn?

Here are a few lifestyle changes that are required if you want to prevent the onset of heartburn:

• Reduce the consumption of certain substances that increase the production of stomach acids like tobacco, chocolate, coffee, caffeinated drinks, citrus fruits, tomatoes, fried foods, and fatty foods.
• Stress can cause heartburn, stomach ulcers, and many other problems. Control the amount of stress that you have in your life as much as possible.
• Eat small frequent meals as opposed to few large meals.
• Avoid eating huge meals before sleeping and have your last meal at least two to three hours before lying down.
• Limit your consumption of sugar when you eat.
• Avoid Smoking. Nicotine from cigarette smoke irritates the valve between the stomach and the esophagus, as well as the stomach lining, so smokers tend to get more heartburn.
• Stay away from drinks that contain alcohol such as beer and other alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can relax the sphincter and irritate the stomach, too, which can lead to reflux.
• Incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
• Don't wear tight clothing, especially around the waist and stomach as that can force stomach acid into your esophagus.
• Try sleeping on your left side. It has been shown to reduce nighttime reflux episodes in patients.
• You can also try elevating the head of your bed. The head of the bed can be elevated by putting wooden blocks under the legs at the head of your bed. The height of the elevation is critical and must be at least 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) to be at least minimally effective to prevent the backflow of gastric fluids.

Most prescription drugs for heartburn are temporary because they treat the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. Natural remedies and prevention measures play essential roles in the treatment of heartburn.