Heartburn Remedy
While heartburn is a lifelong, chronic illness, there are some simple heartburn remedy methods that you can follow to make sure that the problem will not affect you in a big way.
Heartburn Remedy – Eating Smaller Meals
One of the heartburn remedy methods that you can do to limit the affects of heartburn is to eat smaller meals more often. When you keep to a diet pattern that includes little meals at regular intervals throughout the day, you reduce the possibility of causing a back-up in your stomach.
Having less food in your stomach also helps to put less stress on the LES muscles which are responsible for closing the passageway between the esophagus and the stomach.
Keeping In Shape
Keeping in shape is another important heartburn remedy technique to consider if you have a reflux condition. When overweight, the abdomen pushes on the stomach, causing excess fluid to be pushed into the esophagus.
A study that was conducted on heartburn showed that a full thirty five percent of all overweight people experience heartburn.
Smoking And Alcohol Consumption
Other significant lifestyle factors to monitor are your consumption of alcohol and smoking. Nicotine, the most active ingredient in cigarettes, causes a relaxation of the esophageal sphincter, allowing fluids to roam freely.
Smokers also experience an increased buildup of acid in their stomachs. While not as visible as other factors, stress can also play a hand in a heartburn condition.
Avoiding Acid Stimulating Foods
One significant thing to note is that heartburn’s affect on your body is increased when you eat certain acid-creating foods. Food that are to be avoided include:
- Citrus fruits
- Potatoes
- Raw onions
- Ground beef
- Buffalo wings
- Chicken nuggets
- Thick dairy products such as ice cream or cottage cheese
Other foods with that increase the acid in your system include:
- Macaroni and cheese
- Spaghetti
- Any type of liquor or wine
- Coffee
- Tea
- Certain salad dressings
If you can avoid eating these foods as much as possible, you’ll be doing your body a favor and decreasing your chance of encountering heartburn.
Heartburn Remedy – Don’t Eat Before Bedtime
Another heartburn remedy technique to consider is when you are eating your meals. For those with heartburn, it is recommended to eat your last meal at least two to three hours before you go to bed. This is significant due to the fact that lying down causes added pressure to be put on the LES muscles, increasing the chance of reflux.
Simply elevating your head with extra pillows can help to decrease heartburn as well, since gravity weighs on the LES muscles when you are lying down flat.
Keeping A Record
When trying to treat your heartburn condition, it is generally a good idea to keep a record of your progress. Record when and why you experienced heartburn so that you can better understand which behaviors to avoid in the future.
After you get a good baseline for exactly what is causing your heartburnconditions, consult a doctor to get a professional opinion on what you should do to avoid future problems with this chronic illness.
