The American Academy of Otolaryngology found out that heartburn or GERD, is not only common in adults but anyone from any age group. In fact, another study uncovered that people now suffer from heartburn more often than they did 10 years ago. This is more people are now aware of it as over-the-counter medicines are more advertised. We have come up with home remedies to get rid of heartburn, some lifestyle changes that you can follow to “not” belong to the group who suffer from this.
Causes of Heartburn
Heartburn or GERD is basically caused due to indigestion. Food eaten that stimulates the acid inside your abdomen to depreciate is how it all happens. The question now is what type of food does contribute to this? Mostly, fries, all sorts of fries, fast foods, foods that are too much oily and fat-ridden; and, also, drinking alcohol, soft drinks even along with smoking to cause this.
Essentially, as we are all different with different digestion patterns, some people might also feel GERD from ingesting food rich in Vitamin C.
Apart from food, if you are suffering from obesity, then you will primarily feel the GERD more often than so.
Common Symptoms of Heartburn
The most common symptom of the heartburn is quite noticeable, but some of them are quite different from the general comprehensive view about heartburn as it varies from person to person. But below are some suggestions that might be notable:
- Having an intense burning sensation behind the breastbone just after the meal that might last more than an hour. And you might have the pain spreading to throat, arms and shoulders.
- Having the difficulty of gulping or swallowing.
- Having the sensation of stiffness and unusual pressure around the middle of the chest.
- Running out of breadths, feeling wobbly and perhaps giving out cold sweat.
- Having a burning sensation in the throat. It might be after giving a hiccup too, where it feels like salty, sour or bitter burning liquid on the throat.
- Having the feeling of the food stuck in the throat and chest.
- Having lasting coughs, throat burnings.
- Chest pain happening while you try to bend or lie down. This symptom sometimes is consistent with other problem too, such as Heart attack. So it is better to consult the doctor once you have such problem.
- Symptoms responding fast to the Anti-acid drugs.
But having frequent heartburn results in having GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) which requires the attention of the doctors and should be handled cautiously.
9 Best Home Remedies and DIY Tips to Get Rid of Heartburn Instantly
1. Enriched Meal
To begin with, your daily meals should contain fish, chicken and vegetables. One of the most important thing to remember is that vegetables are “ALWAYS” helpful for the digestive system as well as the overall system of your body. If you are suffering from GERD, then do not eat raw food, and yes, also eat boiled/ cooked rice. Many Gastroenterologists suggest to their patients that many meals a day of smaller proportions are better than fewer meals in bigger proportions. They also suggest that you should eat about four to six times a day in trifling amounts rather than eat twice or thrice.
2. Chewing Gum
Also, there are certain items that you can take so that you don’t feel that sweltering feeling over your chest and heart. You can try chewing gum after eating your food; it accelerates the production of saliva in the mouth, this “sort of” rinses down your gullet, washing it and, thus, increasing the water content of the gut. Aloe is a savior because of its multi-beneficial properties, one of which its ability to lessen the inflammation of the gullet or stomach walls. As you drink aloe juice, it will help to ease the swelling.
3. Bananas
One great thing about bananas are that they act as antacid for the body; it is, therefore, better to eat fresh ripened bananas. Moreover, who doesn’t love to drink buttermilk? If you are feeling the burn, then you can drink some iced buttermilk; they will work instantly with the burn and you should also remember that probiotic drinks are good for the digestive system and should be in your diet.
4. Ginger
In the past, people used garden-fresh ginger; it can be used as an ingredient in the cooking process of your food or can be brewed with tea. Dyspepsia or GERD or whatever you call it can be easily get rid of by mixing ginger, lemon juice and honey in proper amounts with lukewarm water, drink the mixture and you will feel at ease slowly. All sorts of vegetables help with heartburn as they aid in the digestion of protein.
5. Parsley
Eating parsley or drinking parsley tea is really an effective ways in dealing with the heartburn disease. Some people still find this digestive aids for improving their metabolism and digesion fast. Try to add parsley in your daily diet.
6. Effective Diet
Primarily, you can start by changing your diet. There are certain complications towards some food items that we have and it differs from person to person. To make sure you don’t feel heartburn, make sure that you have omitted such type of food from your daily diet.
7. Drink Water
Last but not the least is water, drink loads and loads of water! They will help to dilute the acid content of your stomach and help keep the fluid level of your body right.
8. Change Your Lifestyle
You might also need to bring in little or major lifestyle changes if you want to get rid of frequent heartburn. Try to maintain a good weight, which is within the limit, wear loose clothes as they do not compress your abdominal area. As I mentioned already, check that you avoid food that is a causative agent of GERD; after finishing a meal, make sure you move and walk around. This will actually help with digestion. Never be late for your food, remember frequent and small meals throughout the day!
If you want to try medications, then you can try taking antacids after meals. Also, it is best to communicate with your doctor and take medications and advice from him when necessary.
9. Exercise Regularly
Exercising is good for the body, but don’t go doing stress workouts straight after a meal, give it some time. Don’t “stress” or “binge” eat, eat slowly and calmly so that the gullet is not stressed and nor your stomach.
Some Additional Tips And Recommendation to Get Rid Of Heartburn
- To get rid of heartburn, drink a glass of coconut water because it contains a lot of vitamins and minerals which prevent heartburn disease and it is really effective for your stomach.
- Do you know that smoking is highly responsible for creating your heartburn disease? For that we are requesting please don’t smoke in that time.
- Green and ripe papaya is a powerful fruit to get rid of your heartburn. Yes, it is safe to eat green and ripe papaya when you are in heartburn problem. It is better to boil a green papaya and eat it every day.
- If your digestive system is working properly then you can drink a full glass of cold milk. You might add any kind of flavor of your choice in that milk.
- Avoid coffee when you are suffering from heartburn problem because it will make your present situation worst.
- Enough sleep would eventually have a good effect on reducing heartburn disease. So try to sleep well. Note that; don’t lay down after your meal.
- Avoid tight clothes because it can put pressure on your stomach which can make heartburn disease.
- You can take herbal tea varieties such as chamomile, meadow-sweet, green and licorice tea to get rid of your heartburn disease.
- Try to include different kinds of fish, fresh foods, vegetable and meats to improve your digestion system.
The above home Remedies and DIY tips are very simple and effective for reducing your heartburn disease. If you are having acute problem for few hours consult with a doctor immediately.