What To Eat To Alleviate Heartburn

Marshmallow Can Heal Heartburn

The very popular herb marshmallow contains a mucilage property that helps coat your esophagus and stomach lining. This creates a protective barrier against stomach acid and you get rid of heartburn. What more, marshmallow can even repair the damage done to your food pipe and stomach lining by excessive acid.Make Marshmallow Infusion for Heartburn

Get this:

• In the morning, drink this thick herbal infusion which would taste bitter-sweet.

Precaution: If you are taking some medication, consult your doctor before using any herb.

Heartburn: What To Do When To See A Doctor

In the event of heartburn, it is always advisable to seek medical advice. Specific clinical situations or associated symptoms necessarily require a consultation with the attending physician and sometimes with the gastroenterologist:

• The onset of symptoms after 50 years,
• History of digestive tract disease ,
• Heartburn more than twice a week, increased frequency or intensity, persistence for several days,
• Pain when swallowing, difficulty swallowing or blockage when swallowing,
• Violent epigastric pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting,
• Deterioration of general condition ,
• Fever,
• Chronic anaemia,
• Digestive bleeding such as bloody vomiting, blood in the stool or smelly black stools corresponding to digested blood
• Breathing difficulties,
• Atypical manifestations of GERD, i.e. without epigastric burns or heartburn ,
• Atypical pain ,
• Frequent use of self-medication,
• Persistence or worsening of symptoms after a few days of treatment,
• Recurrence of symptoms on discontinuation of treatment.

Apples To Reduce Heartburn

Banana is not the only fruit that helps you with heartburn. The nutritious and tasty apples to come to your help when its about getting rid of heartburn. Apples can in fact, even reduce the symptoms of GERD, the chronic heartburn. This is because apple helps in producing an alkaline environment in your stomach so that the excessive acids get neutralized. This also helps in better digestion which is again a key to no heartburn. Not only does apple cure but also prevent heartburn. However, you need to eat sweet apples, preferably those that are organic. Tart apples wont do any wonders.

Ways to have Apples to Avoid Heartburn

Some apples may give you instant and better relief from heartburn than others. Therefore, keep on changing the varieties of apples to find out the one that is most soothing for your condition.

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A Maintain A Healthy Body Weight

Do you know your body mass index ? If not, start now by entering your weight and height into a BMI calculator to use the NIH calculator and find your current BMI.

A healthy BMI is between 19 and 25, but anyone with a compromised LES should not be at the high end of normal. We recommend a BMI of 24 or less. Why is this important? We wrote a cornerstone article titled How is your excess weight destroying your LES , which we highly recommend you read if you have a BMI greater than 24.

This excess weight does two things that will increase your GERD symptoms. First, it distends the stomach, pulling down on the LES and stretching it out. Over a long-term, this will reduce the effectiveness of the LES to act as an effective barrier between the stomach and the oesophagus.

Second, it puts added pressure on the diaphragm, potentially pushing stomach content into the esophagus. Many research studies have proven that a reduction in BMI will reduce GERD symptoms. In an NIH published paper researchers concluded the following:

In summary, our findings suggest that, beyond being overweight or obese, the risk of GERD symptoms rises progressively with increasing BMI, even among normal weight individuals. This appears true for all degrees of symptom severity and duration, as well as for nocturnal symptoms. Notably, weight loss was associated with a decreased risk of symptoms.

Consuming Aloe Vera Can Sometimes Help Reduce Symptoms Of Acid Reflux

Aloe vera might be known for being a key ingredient in creams meant to soothe sunburns, but it can also be useful for reducing the symptoms of acid reflux, including heartburn.

“Aloe vera is famous as a natural healing agent and also appears to reduce gastric acid levels naturally. It is available as a living plant but the leaves or liquid form are sometimes sold separately in grocery and health food stores,” bariatric surgeonDr. Michael Jay Nusbaum told INSIDER. He also said the liquid form of aloe can be used as a thickening agent when preparing certain dishes.

Liquid aloe vera can have a slightly sour taste, so you may want to add a drizzle of honey if you plan to consume it undiluted. And if you want your aloe vera to be as fresh as possible, you can keep a live plant in your home and remove its leaves as needed.

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Home Remedies To Treat Heart Burn

Instead of rushing to a doctor, just check your kitchen cabinet. It has all the ingredients that can cure heartburn. These home remedies are natural and have no side-effects.

1. Honey : Honey is a natural treatment for heartburn. As you feel the symptoms of heartburn, eat 1 tablespoon of honey. Alternatively, mix honey in chamomile tea and sip it slowly.

2. Almonds : Snack on 15-20 almonds. After half an hour, you will feel relief in the pain, caused due to heartburn. Almonds will completely vanish the burning sensation. To reduce the instances of heartburn, it is suggested to eat some almonds after every meal.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar : Mix 2 tablespoons of ACV into half cup of water or apple juice. Drink it after each meal. This will help to calm down the upset stomach and make heartburn go away.

4. Aloe Vera Juice : Aloe vera juice is the best remedy for treating really bad heartburn. It will remove the pain and inflammation. Make sure, you use only organic and fresh aloe vera juice.

5. Apple : An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is absolutely right! Apple contains several beneficial properties. Eat apple for instant relief in heartburn. It neutralizes the acid in your tummy in just 4-5 minutes.

6. Banana : Banana is a natural home remedy for quick heartburn relief. Eat a banana to get rid of severe heartburn.

7. Baking Soda : Mix half spoon of baking soda in a glass, full of water. Drink it. This will provide fast relief in heartburn, originated due to acid reflux.

Take An Acid Neutralizer

When heartburn hits and you need relief, try an antacid like Tums, Rolaids, or Maalox. These medications act quickly to neutralize the acid in the stomach, which can reduce your symptoms. Dont have any on hand? Dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in eight ounces of water and drink to neutralize the acid in your stomach. Just use caution with this home remedy since its high in sodium and shouldnt be used by people on a sodium-restricted diet.

Learn more: Treating GERD with medications: What you need to know

We also like H-2 blockers, also known as Histamine H2-receptor antagonists. These include such brand names a Pepcid, Pepcid AC, Tagamet, and Zantac. These medications dont work as quickly as acid neutralizers, but they are still very fast. H2 blockers should be taken about 30 minutes before you eat or when you typically experience symptoms.

The benefit of H2 blockers is that they work longer than antacids, but they dont have the same medical risks associated with proton pump inhibitors. As is true with all medications we highly recommend that you discuss use with your doctor before you begin any drug treatment, prescription or over-the-counter.

And remember that while these quick fixes may help relieve your GERD symptoms, they dont address the underlying cause of those symptoms. Your goal should be to stop reflux from happening in the first place, which is why we recommend several long-term solutions to cure heartburn.

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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

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

Try Alternative Protein Sources

Stomach is mainly concerned with the digestion of proteins. The more protein we eat, greater is the secretion of stomach acid. You can guess the rest. Yes, you got it right. More acid means greater chances of reflux and chest pain.

The maximum chances of reflux seem to appear after eating red meat . So, you should try some alternative sources of proteins like:

• Chicken and Turkey. These two fall into the category of white meat. White meat seems to trigger acid reflux less than red meat.
• Seafood. The second option youve is to go for seafood. Try baked or cooked fish and oyster.
• Beans. If youre strictly a vegetarian then youve an option here too. Bean is the best alternate of animal protein. If you want to skip meat altogether then beans is what you should go for. In addition, Beans are extremely rich source of fibers. Fibers speed up the digestion and passage of food from the Stomach into the intestine.

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Top 15 Heartburn Remedies

Just because heartburn is common doesnt mean you have to suffer with it. Left untreated, frequent acid reflux can develop into more serious health problems. Here are the top 15 heartburn remedies…

Despite humorous commercials touting heartburn remedies with funny words like plop-plop and fizz-fizz, heartburn is no joke. More than 60 million Americans suffer from it at least occasionally, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.Heartburn, also known as acid indigestion, occurs when acidic stomach juices flow backward into the esophagus, irritating the esophageal lining. The resulting pain can be uncomfortable, annoying or excruciating. It can hurt as much as a heart attack, says Paige Hastings, a certified nurse practitioner at The Little Clinic in Nashville, Tenn.But not everyone has such pain you could also feel a bitter or acidic taste in the back of your throat or the awful sensation of food or liquid washing back into your mouth and down the gullet.In fact, frequent heartburn and food sticking in the throat are signs of gastroesophageal reflux disease .Untreated, these problems can lead more serious problems, including strictures , ulcers, cancer and pneumonia, explains Patricia Raymond, MD, a gastroenterologist based in Virginia Beach, Va.

Melon For Heartburn Relief

Melon has a pH of 6.1 and therefore it can be counted as one of the good foods for heartburn. Some people, however, may not respond well to melon and need to avoid it. So you can have some melon pieces every day or make a smoothie with melon and other ingredients that are also good to cure heartburn. Here is one recipe for a melon smoothie that also uses almond milk, cantaloupe, watermelon, ginger and banana. Almonds are also said to be a great remedy for heartburn as they neutralize stomach acid. While you can always snack on almonds, adding a few of them in this smoothie will not only make it tasty but will increase its efficacy in combating heartburn.

Make Melon Smoothie to Prevent Heartburn

Get this:

• Fresh ginger root- 1 inch piece

Do this:

• Place all the above ingredients in your blender and blend them together.
• Have this every morning if you have a consistent problem of heartburn.

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What Causes Heartburn During Pregnancy

Almost 80% of women encounter heartburn at some point during their pregnancy journey.

This condition is common in the early weeks of the first trimester and lasts until the third trimester.

A lot of factors contribute to acid reflux during pregnancy, including smoking or being overweight.

Technically, pregnancy heartburn occurs because of hormonal changes. High progesterone levels in the blood affect digestion and ultimately cause esophageal inflammation.

You may also experience this type of acidity when the womb pushes onto the stomach, causing stomach acid to flow back toward the esophagus.

Dr. Renee Wellenstein, a certified OB-GYN specialist, says that gestational acidity is not serious unless you cant ignore the symptoms.

If a woman develops nausea and vomiting due to the severity of the heartburn, she should promptly alert her doctor. And it is a medical emergency if she begins vomiting blood, since this may indicate a more serious condition related to heartburn.

Dr. Renee Wellenstein

When To Visit Your Doctor

Some people find relief on their own, without needing to see a doctor. If you experience symptoms of acid reflux two or more times per week, however, you may want to consider scheduling an appointment as this can indicate gastroesophageal reflux disease. Your doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist, who can perform tests such as:

• Barium X-rays: You drink a barium solution and then your doctor takes X-rays of your upper digestive tract
• Endoscopy: Your doctor inserts a camera into your esophagus to examine the tissue and take a small biopsy if necessary
• Biopsy: Your doctor takes a small sample of tissue from your esophagus to examine under a microscope
• Monitoring your pH levels: Your doctor monitors the acidity of your stomach

Seeking treatment for chronic acid reflux is important. Untreated, gastroesophageal reflux disease can lead to cancer of your esophagus. Other complications of untreated gastroesophageal reflux include:

• Inflammation in your esophagus
• Permanent changes to the lining of your esophagus
• Chronic cough or breathing issues such as asthma
• Dental issues such as enamel erosion, cavities, and gum disease

Symptoms of acid reflux can also mimic symptoms of other serious conditions, such as:

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What Can Trigger Acid Reflux

• Fried foods including french fries, chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, etc.
• Butter
• High-fat foods including red meats
• Spicy foods
• Soda
• Chocolate

Wow, so thats like, all the good stuff. I guess this makes me a total party pooper. A regular Debbie Downer. A real Buzz Killington. Im not saying not to eat this stuff. You can if you want to, but it does come with the price of acid reflux.

Now that weve covered that, your next question must be

Heartburn Relief: Simple Remedies To Put Out The Fire

• The terms heartburn and acid reflux are often used interchangeably, but heartburn is actually a symptom of acid reflux.
• Pay attention to the foods that trigger heartburn for you and eliminate them from your diet.

Heartburn occurs when the muscular valve between your stomach and esophagus loosens or doesnt completely close, allowing stomach acid to escape into your esophagus. You may be very familiar with the symptoms of heartburn that burning sensation just below your breast bone, that can rise up into your chest. You may also have a bitter or sour taste in your mouth. The terms heartburn and acid reflux are often used interchangeably, but heartburn is actually a symptom of acid reflux.

If you experience occasional heartburn, there are simple things you can do to identify the cause, and ways to prevent the burn.

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More Ways To Avoid Heartburn

Sometimes it not just what you eat, but how you eat. Check out these tips for taming those searing symptoms.

Dont slouch when eating. It may be tempting to settle into the cushions and watch TV while inhaling that plate of Buffalo wings. But sitting less than straight while you chow down can encourage gastric juices to head in the wrong direction. Doctors say its also important stay upright for 45 to 60 minutes after eating. If stomach acid does escape, gravity will send that noxious stuff back to where it belongs: your stomach. Liquid and gas want to go to the path of least resistance, Pichetshote says. If youre laying down it can easily go up toward your head. If youre a little more upright, it has to fight gravity to move upward. The same goes for sleeping: Wait at least two to three hours after eating before hitting the sack.

Find your sweet spot. Overeating is never a good idea. When your stomach is distended and bloated, acid can rise back into the esophagus, triggering symptoms. But an empty stomach can cause problems, too. Go more than three to four hours without a meal or snack, and stomach acid which would usually be used in the digestive process to break down food collects. The best approach? Eat smaller meals and eat slowly. And choose water to wash things down.