Final Thoughts: Choose Nature First And Skip The Antacid Tablets
The first thing that you want to do is run to the drugstore to get antacids when your heartburn flares. However, you are only masking the real problem. You are either producing too much or not enough acid, or the little flap between the stomach and esophagus is not working correctly.
You need to take control of the situation, and nature is there to help. By using one of these ten listed methods, you can bring relief. You can also fix the problem by changing your sleeping position, diet, and adding exercise.
When you maintain a healthy weight, avoid fatty foods, and throw the soda to the curb, you can live a life without heartburn. If you continue to have issues even after exhausting all the items on the list, speak to your doctor.
Conditions like Barretts esophagus shouldnt be messed around with as it can quickly turn to esophageal cancer. Stomach acid can do a significant bit of damage, and its more harm than antacids can manage.
How Should I Take A Proton Pump Inhibitor
PPIs include , , , and . They are all now available with a prescription. You can also find them over the counter, with the exception of pantoprazole.
PPIs should be taken on an empty stomach about 30 minutes to 1 hour before you eat breakfast, once a day for 14 days unless otherwise directed by your doctor. It can take 1 to 4 days for full effect but some people get complete symptom relief within 24 hours.
If you need to take a PPI for more than 14 days, your doctor may have you continue taking it for 4 to 8 weeks. Youll want to let your doctor know if your reflux continues or worsens.
The Best Ways To Get Rid Of Heartburn Fast
What should you take to quickly get rid of occasional symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux? One of the best and quickest ways to treat acid reflux naturally is to drink a glass of baking soda and water. The neutralizing effect of baking soda helps to stop burning sensations in your chest fast and the other symptoms of acid reflux.
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Heartburn From Viagra Conclusion
One common side effect of using Viagra, or its generic form Sildenafil, is a feeling of heartburn during the time the medication is working.
This side effect stems from the medication doing what it is supposed to do — loosening the muscles. But, when this happens to the muscle dividing your stomach from your esophagus, it could mean acid reflux.
Start by making sure you are drinking lots of water with your dose to lessen the heartburn.
But, if that does not work you can ask your doctor about reducing your dose, or trying over-the-counter antacid medications.
Anything that can cause heartburn already, may also worsen the reflux from taking Viagra. So, steer clear of alcohol, smoking, spicy foods, fried foods, or large meals when using Viagra to avoid a worse bout of heartburn.
Avoid Foods That Can Worsen Heartburn
Similar to the tip above, certain foods can already line you up for a heartburn episode, so combining them with a dose of Viagra is asking for some acid reflux down the road.
Avoid fried, high-fat foods, as well as citrus, chocolate, spicy foods, peppermint, tomatoes, and caffeine before taking your Viagra dose to ensure that your meal is not making your heartburn worse.
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How A Doctor Can Help
If you have heartburn two or more times a week and changes to your diet or eating pattern haven’t helped, consult a doctor. A gastroenterologist can perform tests to measure the acidity in your stomach and see if frequent acid reflux has damaged your esophagus.
GERD is often treatable through a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. But persistent symptoms of reflux need thorough evaluation by a gastroenterologist who can find the underlying cause and discuss available treatment options.
The Johns Hopkins Heartburn Center
GERD is an ongoing condition that often requires more attention than over-the-counter treatments can offer. The Heartburn Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine provides personalized care to help patients find relief.
Natural Antacids What Are They
Natural antacids are used to neutralize the acid in your stomach juices to alleviate the symptoms of heartburn and GERD.
Many people with occasional symptoms of acid reflux choose to use natural antacids for heartburn relief, as some commercially available antacids have some side effects. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that some antacids cause diarrhea, constipation, and nausea.3
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Top 10 Heartburn Foods
Making changes to your diet is a great way to help ease heartburn. You can start by avoiding foods that are likely to worsen your symptoms and then add in other nutritious foods. There are no specific diets for acid reflux, but these top 10 heartburn foods might help:
Oatmeal
High fiber foods keep you feeling full for longer. This can stop you from overeating, which might trigger heartburn. Fiber-rich diets have also been linked to lower acid reflux risk. Eating whole grains like oatmeal and whole grain rice can help.
Sweet potatoes
Root vegetables like sweet potatoes are great sources of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Try roasting, grilling, or broiling sweet potatoes with other root vegetables like beets and carrots. Roasting brings out sweeter flavors and avoids frying, which can trigger heartburn. Make sure to leave out the garlic and onions, which can be irritating.
Ginger is well known for its soothing digestive effects. It can help with gas, nausea, and bloating, and its anti-inflammatory, which can help soothe an irritated digestive system. If you normally enjoy coffee, try switching to ginger tea. You can add a slice of fresh ginger to a mug of hot water.
Melons
Fruits are part of a healthy diet, but citrus fruits can trigger heartburn. Instead, focus on eating watery fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. Extra water can help dilute stomach acid and ease your symptoms.
Chicken broth
Fennel
Non-fat milk
Fresh herbs
Olive oil
Lean meats
Ways To Prevent Heartburn And Acid Reflux
Most of us are all too familiar with the painful, burning sensation in the center of the chest thats associated with heartburn.
In fact, up to 28% of adults in North America experience gastroesophageal reflux disease , a common condition that causes heartburn. GERD occurs when acid is pushed up from the stomach back into the esophagus, which leads to the heartburn sensation .
Although people often use medications to treat acid reflux and heartburn, many lifestyle modifications can also help you reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Here are 14 natural ways to reduce your acid reflux and heartburn, all backed by scientific research.
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What Is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
GERD is an ongoing condition in which the contents of the stomach come back into the esophagus . Doctors call this acid reflux.
There are several reasons why people have GERD. One possible reason has to do with the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus. Normally this muscle closes to keep food and stomach acid from coming back up the esophagus. In some people with GERD this muscle does not always work right.
- GERD often causes heartburn, a burning feeling in the chest and throat. Heartburn may happen many times a week, especially after eating or at night.
- GERD can also cause you to cough or have asthma symptoms. It can also make your voice sound hoarse and raspy. These symptoms can happen even if you do not have heartburn. The acid may also leave a bitter taste in your mouth.
How common is GERD?
- GERD is one of the most common health problems for adults.
What else should I know about GERD?
- Your heartburn may keep coming back if not treated.
- Untreated GERD can cause serious health problems. The acid can damage your esophagus and make it hard to swallow.
- In some people with GERD, the cells in the esophagus can become abnormal. These abnormal cells could lead to cancer of the esophagus, although this is rare.
How Do I Treat Heartburn During Pregnancy
When youre growing a human being, you dont have time for that yucky acid reflux. But your usual go-to methods for treating it may not be safe for your unborn baby.
Instead, here are some of the safest and best ways to get rid of heartburn when youre pregnant:
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Key Points To Remember
- GERD symptoms may not get better on their own. Its important to treat GERD, because it can lead to more serious problems, such as inflammation or narrowing of the esophagus.
- Most people can control symptoms of GERD with over-the-counter medicines and lifestyle changes.
- Stronger prescription medicines often work when over-the-counter medicines dont.
- You may decide to have surgery if:
- Medicine doesnt completely relieve your symptoms.
- Medicine works to stop your symptoms but for other reasons you cant or dont want to take the medicine.
- You have other symptoms, including asthma or hoarseness, that do not get much better with medicines.
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Types Of Natural Antacids Including Homemade Antacids
What are the types of natural alternatives to antacids that you can use to treat acid reflux pain and discomfort? Here are a few remedies that have an antacid effect that many people have found effective.
- Yogurt as a natural antacid. Raw, natural yogurt contains healthy bacteria that can improve your digestive health. Doctors say that the beneficial enzymes in raw yogurt help to improve the microflora of the gut. Yogurt is also a good source of calcium which has been connected with improvement in reflux symptoms.
- Baking soda. Baking soda is a tried and tested method to relieve reflux symptoms and stop a burning feeling in your chest. Baking soda neutralizes stomach acid to prevent heartburn pain and discomfort.
- Ginger. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient that can help to boost your digestion and stop indigestion. Doctors from Harvard Health say that ginger has been used for centuries as a natural heartburn remedy.4
- Aloe vera. Another natural soothing remedy that can be used as a burning throat remedy is aloe vera. Aloe vera juice not only helps to relieve irritation in your food pipe, it can improve your digestion and help your stomach work better.
- Apple cider vinegar. One natural remedy you can drink for heartburn is diluted apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar also contains probiotics, and there is anecdotal evidence that regularly drinking apple cider vinegar can help to reduce heartburn symptoms.
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What Foods And Drinks Cause Heartburn
- Alcohol: Alcohol can relax the lower esophageal sphincter.
- Coffee and orange or other acidic juices are some of the beverages that can worse or trigger heartburn.
- Fatty foods, fried foods, and some acidic foods as well as spicy foods can cause heartburn.
- Additional foods that make heartburn worse.
Every person reacts somewhat differently to specific food groups. To track what foods worsen your symptoms, keep a food journal. In this journal, you should keep track of what you eat, the time you ate, any activity that worsened or made the heartburn better, and indicate which days you have heartburn symptoms. Over time, you will be able to correlate the offending foods with heartburn events. Print this and take this with you to your next doctors appointment to discuss possible causes of heartburn you may be experiencing.
Pregnancy tends to aggravate heartburn because the lower esophageal sphincter is weakened during pregnancy. This weakened resolves after delivery of the baby. Pregnancy also distorts the organs in the abdomen and the increased abdominal pressure from the growing fetus causes heartburn. These changes promote the reflux of acid and heartburn.
Approximately 17% to 45% of women who become pregnant will suffer from heartburn.
Management of heartburn during pregnancy consists of many of the same home remedies and lifestyle changes for a person with heartburn who is not pregnant .
Adopt New Bedroom Habits
Do you have trouble sleeping at night due to heartburn? If so, try sleeping on your left side this position seems to help. Experts also recommend keeping your upper body elevated to make it harder for acids to flow up the esophagus. Raise the head of your bed or use a thick wedge-shaped body pillow when sleeping to keep heartburn at bay.7
References
* Onset of acid neutralization does not imply the onset of symptom relief.
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What Medications Can I Take For Heartburn During Pregnancy
Its important to be extremely careful about the medications you take when pregnant.
For heartburn relief, over-the-counter antacids are all considered safe medications to use during pregnancy.
As always, consult with your provider about any medications youre taking even if theyre considered safe.
If you experience any unusual symptoms while taking an over-the-counter medication, call your doctor immediately.
Check If You Have Acid Reflux
The main symptoms of acid reflux are:
- heartburn a burning sensation in the middle of your chest
- an unpleasant sour taste in your mouth, caused by stomach acid
You may also have:
- a cough or hiccups that keep coming back
- a hoarse voice
Your symptoms will probably be worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over.
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Follow A Low Carb Diet
Growing evidence suggests that low carb diets may relieve acid reflux symptoms.
In fact, some researchers suspect that undigested carbs may cause bacterial overgrowth and increased pressure inside the abdomen, which could contribute to acid reflux (
Summary
Excessive alcohol intake can worsen acid reflux symptoms. If you experience heartburn, limiting your alcohol intake might help ease some of your discomfort.
Proton Pump Inhibitors When H2 Blockers Dont Help
If after a couple weeks of taking H2 blockers your acid reflux symptoms still arent letting up and/or are occuring 2 or more days per week, stop them and try a proton pump inhibitor once daily. PPIs work by blocking an enzyme found in cells in the stomach lining that produce stomach acid. This causes them to make less acid and relieve symptoms of heartburn and GERD.
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Avoid Food And Drink Triggers
Some heartburn triggers are common while others will vary for each individual.
- Drinking alcohol before, during, or after meals can worsen heartburn because alcohol weakens the LES muscle. In addition, drinking alcohol can result in eating more than you intended and making poorer food choices.
- Avoid foods and beverages that weaken the LES muscle. These foods include chocolate, peppermint, caffeinated beverages, carbonated beverages, alcohol, fatty foods, and greasy or fried foods.
- Avoid foods and beverages that may irritate the esophagus. These include citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes and tomato-based products, chili peppers, and black pepper.
- Create a heartburn-friendly diet by keeping a food diary to record which foods are safer for you and which are more likely to trigger heartburn. You may be able to enjoy some foods occasionally or in smaller amounts, while you will find others need to be avoided most of the time.
How Do Natural Antacids Work
Home remedies for heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux can help to quickly alleviate some of the causes of heartburn.
For example, natural antacids that help to balance stomach acid mean that there is less acidic stomach fluid that can escape back up your esophagus. This can help to prevent chest pains and a sour mouth that are often associated with heartburn.
Some home remedies for heartburn help to soothe irritation and inflammation in your throat and food pipe. This can help to prevent damage caused by the acidic juices and even assist in healing an irritated throat and esophagus.
Other natural remedies for digestive issues can also relieve trapped gas and address the causes of bloating. Having less gas in your stomach means that its easier for the muscle between your stomach and esophagus close fully and prevent stomach acid escaping and irritating your digestive tract.
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