What are some good remedies for heartburn?
Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at
10:40 am
It’s primarily from very spicy food or drinking the night before.
I need my doctor to prescribe me something for my acid reflux, but in the meantime I am wondering what I can do now. Whether it be quick fixes, natural remedies, or over the counter medication.
I’ve tried drinking milk, pickle juice, and eating raw potatoes which all actually work fairly well.
Filed under: Heartburn Treatments
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Hi There,
Solutions for acid reflux involve making lifestyle changes such as avoiding certain foods, losing weight, and stopping smoking and exercising regularly.
Try to eat 4-5 small meals a day instead of 1-2 large, heavy meals. Do not eat just before going to bed and avoid eating in a hurry. Proper chewing is very important.
In acid reflux, the list of what not to eat is much bigger and specific than what to eat. Certain foods and fluids to avoid are:
• Salad vegetables like onions, radishes and cucumber hard to digest.
• Too much liquid, especially just after the meals, dilutes the digestive juices. Hence, liquids in small quantities should be taken before or during the meals only. A glass of wine on the other hand will aid in digestion.
• Peppermint tea, alcohol and coffee relax the esophagus sphincter thereby aiding in spurring of the backward flow of food from the stomach. Alcohol also causes stomach acidity whereas coffee causes irritation. So, it’s a double whammy for people facing acid reflux.
• Pectin in unripe foods makes them hard to digest whereas high fat content in cheese slows down digestion, especially if taken just before going to bed.
• Fats, protein and calcium present in the milk stimulate acid production in the stomach. Normal diet of milk is fine but don’t take it for treating acid reflux, as is advised by some wise people.
• Chocolate, containing fats and caffeine is also a usual suspect.
• Fizzy drinks expand your stomach having the same effect as that of overeating. Avoid them
Avoid the overuse of over-the-counter medications such as antacids, anti-gas or ant-flatulence drugs, oral suspension and H-2 receptor blockers as they may cause side effects such as constipation and diarrhea.
Try these simple techniques
- Never lie down flat on the bed immediately after the meals.
- Raise the head end of your bed by about 3-4 inches, using bed blocks or bricks. Pillows over pillows won’t help.
- Nicotine increase the amount of gastric acids secreted. It also loosens the valve, i.e., relaxes the sphincter. So, don’t smoke.
- Wear suspenders instead of a belt. This creates less pressure on the stomach.
- Bend on your knees if you are going down. If you bend your stomach, you’ll compress it forcing the acids upwards.
- Try yoga or some form of stress relieving exercises in addition to the herbs mentioned above.
Natural Remedies
Natural and holistic treatments have been used for centuries to treat and provide symptomatic relief for digestive problems. Homeopathic remedies are safe and effective to use for people of all ages without unwanted side effects. Carefully selected ingredients such as Calc phos, Carbo veg, Nat phos, Mag carb and Silicea helps to neutralize acid in the stomach as well as cleanse and eliminate toxins from the body and relieve symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, bloating and gas.
Hope all that helped
Good Luck!
baking soda…. it neutralized the acid in your tummy