How To Use Baking Soda as Home Remedy for Heartburn Cure

Baking Soda is an old folk home remedy for heartburn and as it is a usual kitchen cupboard item to be found in your home consequently you shouldn’t have any problem with finding this ingredient in order to try out this natural cure for acid reflux pain. So when and how do you use it?

When and How to use Baking Soda

Once your heartburn has started, find your way to your kitchen do the following:

• Measure out about 1 tablespoon of baking soda. 

• Mix this well with about 1 cup of water. If you use slightly warmer water than room temperature, it’s better as it melts the baking soda faster. Don’t make the water too hot though, as you need to drink this remedy immediately for it to work. 

• Drink the mixture.

Okay, so it doesn’t sound too wonderful and I wouldn’t blame you if may be due to the less adventurous you choose not to try using this baking soda as one of your heartburn cure. On a serious note, if you can venture trying it, you will not suffer from heartburn pain for a period of at least a couple of days. For those skeptics amongst you who want to understand how this cure could work before trying it, the principle is actually quite simple. 

Baking soda contains bicarbonate which is also something that is present in saliva. We know already that saliva helps to neutralize your stomach acids due to its alkaline nature. Therefore, since baking soda also contains the same ingredients as saliva, it does the same job. Only, as you’re consuming more bicarbonate over a shorter period of time than your body can naturally produce in your own saliva, this cure works faster at neutralizing your stomach acids. 

There is however, a downside to this recipe that you should know about before trying it, which although not serious, can be very embarrassing. The downside is that it causes burping in most people who try it. As long as you’re prepared for this, and you’ve informed your partner first so he’s also prepared and you haven’t arranged a night out with colleagues or friends, then you should be fine.

Caution while Using Baking Soda.

You should also be aware that some people advise against this cure since it can lead to increased gases in the stomach which can lead to more discomfort.Secondly, baking soda can increase blood pressure in some people. So if you suffer from hypertension or have a tendency to high blood pressure, it’s probably better for you to skip this cure and try other home remedies for heartburn.  If nothing else, you’ve found a very good excuse not to try it!

Heartburn Foods: What To Eat and What To Avoid

Many of us that suffers from heartburn always think of what heartburn foods to eat and avoid in order not to trigger or worsen the pain. Suffix me to say here that indigestion is an age old condition that a great many individuals had suffered from. Otherwise called "heartburn" or "pyrosis", acid reflux is not the slightest bit identified with the heart. Point of fact, indigestion is a digestive condition.

Indigestion happens when we disgorge stomach hydrochloric content and when it reaches our throat, which can be as a result of eating heartburn foods we are not supposed to eat as a sufferer. It irritates the throat and it begins from the stomach and advance up simply behind the breastbone. As a rule, it is additionally joined by an intense and sharp taste, which is primarily the stomach corrosive advancing into your mouth.

All in all, what causes stomach hydrochloric acidic content that's supposed to be contain within the stomach stream up to the throat? There are a few clarifications on why this happens yet one of the primary reasons is the type of food that gets into our belly. It is a known fact that there are "foods that cause heartburn" which we must avoid to stop the dilemma.

You have to realize that certain nourishment improve the probability of you encountering acid reflux. Along these lines, by changing our eating routine, you will have the capacity to find alleviation from reflux and even decline its recurrence. This implies that you may need to surrender or keep farthest point a percentage of the food you eat with the goal you should forestall encountering indigestion.
It's time to analyze what we eat! Things being what they are, what are the nourishment that you can eat and what are the sustenance that you ought to keep away from?

• Heartburn Foods To Avoid

In the event that you continually encounter indigestion, you may need to eliminate the utilization of citrus organic products. You need to recall that citrus products are acidic in nature. You have to remember that your objective is to prevent gastric acid from coming to your throat and by eating citrus natural products, which are acidic in nature, you are exacerbating the issue.

This implies that you may need to maintain a strategic distance from natural products, for example, oranges and grapefruits. Tomatoes are additionally acidic and it ought to likewise be kept away from you. Be that as it may, remember that expending these organic products is still critical as they are extremely rich in vitamins and minerals. Yet, you need to curtail yourself in expending these organic products.

Hot food are also regarded as heartburn foods and are likewise expand the danger of corrosive issues. In the event that you adore fiery sustenance and you have an issue with acid reflux, it might be the ideal time for you to cutoff your utilization of nourishment containing bean stew, peppers, and hot curries to give some examples.

Chocolate is another sort of consumable you ought to dodge as it is a known heartburn food trigger. This is on account of chocolate unwinds the LES or the Lower Esophageal Sphincter. The LES goes about as a valve to keep stomach corrosive from getting to your throat. When it is loose, stomach hydrochloric acid can unreservedly sidestep the LES and reach your throat, which acid reflux symptoms.

"Greasy foods" ought to additionally be evaded. This is on account of they are difficult to digest. What's more, when the stomach is having some major difficulty digesting nourishment, it will create more corrosive, which is the thing that you don't need your body to do on the off chance that you are experiencing indigestion.

• Heartburn foods that help

Some fruits and bananas are incredible heartburn foods that can help you manage indigestion. This is on account of their ability to help break up hydrochloric acid in your stomach.

Vegetables are additionally extraordinary for controlling corrosive issues in your stomach. Eat vegetables that are basic in nature, for example, green cabbage, carrots, broccoli, and sprouts. Not just that they will help you with your acid reflux issue, yet these vegetables will be useful for your general wellbeing.

You ought to additionally build your every day water consumption. This will help weaken the corrosive in your stomach, which will make it less powerful.

In the event that you must eat meat, you need to eat incline meat that has minimal fat on it. Cooked or baked Chicken, fish and turkey are satisfactory meats are not heartburn foods trigger and they help relief indigestion and diminish the probability of you encountering acid reflux.

These are known heartburn foods that you can and can't eat. By taking after these tips, you can be sure that you will have the capacity to tackle your acid reflux issue. Simply recollect that in the event that you encounter indigestion in spite of the progressions you made in your eating routine, you need to see your specialist. It not very easy easy to live with chronic heartburn but with much information, medical advice or treatment and knowing the type of heartburn foods to eat and avoid, you will definitely overcome it.

Using Home Remedies For Heartburn? When You Ought to Seek Medical Help.

Home remedies for heartburn has been a proven remedy option when having acid reflux. Hundreds of thousands of people today suffers from symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). And, even though it is an unpleasant and debilitating condition, numerous people deem it as is a irritation rather than an illness when it is still mild. Aside from that, numerous people simply experiences indigestion once or twice every month and it’s basically not a thing to worry about.

Around ten percent of the grown-up populations in the world including America experience a chronic kind of heartburn. This is when an individual’s start having the problem frequently, usually beyond two time in a week. And, this may possibly take control of your day-to-day life. Chronic heartburn will rob you of a healthy personal life. You won’t have the capacity to rest and sleep as a result of the pain. It will also reduce your activities because of the discomfort you will experience from acid reflux. As such, should you are suffering from acid reflux disease, you are probably wondering when you should seek professional medical help.

Best time to use home remedies for heartburn for guarantee result. 

At the early stage when no damage has been done to your esophagus, home remedies for heartburn will definitely relieve your symptoms forever. Nevertheless, there are obvious cases where it has severely affect once life because it wasn't discovered and treated early enough with the right remedy.

You have to remember that heartburn can be managed and controlled through use of home remedies for heartburn such as avoiding food triggering symptoms of acid reflux , lifestyle alterations , the usage of hundred percent natural remedies and solutions for example baking soda as well as the use of antacids and acid blockers . If symptoms or heart pain still continues while using all these methods, despite the fact that you are doing everything you can to cure it, the time has come when you have to seek out medical attention. You need to contact your medical doctor should you are suffering from heartburn definitely more than 2 times a week as this is a sign of a severe case of heartburn or underlying sickness . Your physician will prescribe medicines to treat symptoms of acid reflux more effectively and make other recommendations regarding natural remedies and lifestyle changes that will help you manage the symptom and live a normal life .

  Will home remedies for heartburn prevent complications? 

This is a typical NO, if the esophagus is already damaged which you will noticed as pain when food is passing through your esophagus. What I depict is that if your esophagus had happened to be affected by severe heartburn, “home remedies for heartburn” might not heal the damaged gullet. For this reason medical care attention becomes necessary.

Severe GERD can sometimes lead complications, which demand you to seek urgent medical attention. Signs of imminent complications are vomiting blood, dizziness, passing blood in your stools, feeling that your head is light, observing pain in your throat when swallowing, passing watery stool, dehydration, and you are losing weight unintentionally.

Doctor's help other than home remedies for heartburn.

Your doctor will conduct a series of test in order to determine what is causing you to experience severe heartburn. One of the tests is called the upper GI endoscopy. This procedure will enable the doctor to see how much damage has been done to the esophagus from stomach acid reflux.

The specialist may also test the strength of your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle. The LES is a valve that primarily functions to hinder the flowing back of stomach acid solution into your gullet. This test is medically referred to as esophageal manometry.

You may also be subjected to a procedure called the 24 hours pH monitoring. This determines the level of acid in your stomach. A tiny tube is actually passed via your nostrils into your esophagus. The medical tests will certainly reveal the measure of acid reflux that takes place while you do your daily and regular activities for 24 hours.

With the above diagnosis which can only be performed by a medical professional, you will know if you are already developing any adverse health situations. Your medical specialist will also advice you better on the next thing to do to circumvent the situation. This is basically a reason while you should visit your doctor. Note that if you are already experiencing heartburn at least two occurrences in a single week, it’s the moment you ought to go to the hospital for medical assistance. My candid advice is that you seek for more information that will help you manage acid reflux. 

To get rid of acid reflux and avoid complications, you have to practically remember all of these and act accordingly as applied to you even when you are using home remedies for heartburn. 

Looking for Heartburn Treatment? - Discover The Various Ways on How to Get Rid Of Heartburn

Acid reflux relief is possible using Heartburn Treatment if one have the right knowledge of how to get rid of heartburn. Stopping heartburn may not be possible for some people by using one single treatment option as you will soon discover from this article. There are several methods for treating heartburn, these include natural home remedies, heartburn medicine using antacids, over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs, and surgery. The problem is that many people don't know exactly what will work for them and when to seek treatment early hence, it developed until it can't be reverse except with the last resort which is surgery.


It is also good to know first why people suffer from heartburn. Experience and research have taught me that It's not necessarily because of excess hydrochloric acid secreted in the stomach. Infact, stomach acid is good for you! It's due to the malfunctioning of the LES muscle between the stomach and the esophagus that's supposed to prevent the flow of stomach acidic content back into the esophagus. That's why some people with excess acid in their stomach may not suffer heartburn. Why? Because their LES is functioning well. It's therefore a first priority that you know what causes your heartburn and LES to malfunction for proper treatment. Below are the available treatment options for heartburn.

1. Natural Heartburn Treatment

 

The first step to get rid of heartburn after identifying your heartburn triggers is using natural home remedies. Various home remedies include changing your diet to avoid heartburn food triggers, taking natural products like apple cidar vinegar, baking soda, honey, ginger; and changing certain lifestyle such as stop smoking and losing few pounds of fat if over weight.

2. Use of Medicine for Heartburn Treatment

 

At what point do you need to decide using medicine to treat your heartburn? The key is seeing your doctor if you are having GERD symptoms frequently or more that two times in a week. Seeing your doctor will eliminate other possible causes of heartburn such as hietal hernia, stomach ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome and others thus, putting your mind at ease. It will also help you to discuss and understand each medication type, their side effects, and duration of use before taking any. If however, you result to self medication, you are going to take over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn medicine from your local pharmacist, instead of prescription medicine which are usually in high doses. Consequently, you should read and know about the drug first from the enclose drug leaflet. The various medicines available for heartburn treatment are antacids, H2 blockers and PPIs.

• Antacids

The antacids neutralize stomach acid in other to produce heartburn relief caused by indigestion or GERD. Some, such as Pepto-Bismol coat the esophagus acting as a barrier between the lining of the esophagus and stomach acid. The antacids are known to provide instant heartburn relief from occasional and mild symptoms. Their effect is usually short lived about 30 minutes to 2 hours. They may be liquid (in the form of suspension) or solid which are chewable. The liquid ones are known to work faster than tablets form. Examples of antacids include Gaviscon, Alka-Seltzer, Polygel, Gelusil, Milk of Magnesia, Maalox, and Pepto-Bismo.

• Histamine receptor antagonist (HRA) or H2 blocker

The H2 blocker exist as OTC and prescription medicines. They block the effect of histamine, a chemical in the body that stimulates the production of acid in the stomach after meal. Hence H2 blockers are best taken 30 minutes before food. They may also be taken when going to bed to prevent night heartburn. Examples of H2 blockers include Axid, Zantac, Tagamet and pepcid.

• Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)

The PPIs also exist as OTC and prescription medicines in high doses. PPIs neutralize the action of the active enzymes in some parietal cells in the stomach responsible for acid production. They are the most effective medication use for heartburn treatment that is available. In terms of reduction of stomach acid secretion, their effect last longer - over 24 hours. Example of OTC PPIs include Zegerid®), Prevacid® and Prilosec®; while those prescribe in higher doses include Nexium, Protonix, and Aciphex.

3. Surgery

 

The last resort for heartburn treatment is surgery however, it depends on your condition and health status. Your doctor will evaluate you to decide if this is safe for you. Trying to figure out which heartburn treatment option is safe for you? It depends on your condition and body. Know that what work for me may not work for you. Additionally each of the medications discussed above may produce side effects depending on the individual. Also, either H2 blocker or PPI is usually combine with an antacid for effectiveness in acid reflux treatment.

As mentioned earlier, the medications may not be an effective treatment if not combine with some form of natural remedies such as  changing your diet to avoid heartburn food triggers, taking natural products like apple cidar vinegar, baking soda, honey, ginger; and changing certain lifestyle such as stop smoking and losing few pounds of fat if over weight.

Read more about heartburn treatment and home remedies for heartburn.

Cinnamon and how to use it as Heartburn Remedy

In case you are looking for natural heartburn remedy, cinnamon is a good option for you. This article is composed to present cinnamon as a natural remedy for heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion and how you can use it effectively. In any case, I must let you know that despite the fact that cinnamon tea will certainly help relief heartburn symptoms, It may not cure the acid reflux absolutely. Subsequently it is additionally fundamental that you look for other home remedies for heartburn. 

• Cinnamon use as diseases remedy

Cinnamon has been known to be medicinal. Chinese researchers use cinnamon to treat different gastrointestinal disorders, including heartburn, acid reflux, gastritis, and even gastric cancer. Its concentrates are known worldwide to treat many diseases and disorder including gastrointestinal issues such gas or flatulence also known as gas, dyspepsia or gastrointestinal spasm, and help soothes the stomach. Another fact is that it contains a substance that helps with breaking of gas in the stomach. The success of cinnamon in soothing stomach discomfort due to much gas, indigestion of food and acid had been seen through lab tests and conventional uses. 

• How cinnamon works as heartburn remedy

Firstly, Cinnamon function to relieve heartburn symptoms by bringing down the amount of stomach acid. Thus,  decreasing the risk of ulcers in the stomach and lower throat region in the snippet of reverse of digestive acidic juice from stomach into the esophagus. 

Secondly, cinnamon works in a way that it inhibits excess gas formation in the stomach. It will help in proper digestion by stimulating digestive tracts that are having delayed gastric emptying for effective digestion of food thereby granting heartburn relief. This is unlike heartburn medicine like antacids, nexium, zantac, and others that disrupt the digestive system. 

• The most effective way to use cinnamon as heartburn remedy

There are different ways one can use cinnamon. For individuals with GERD or acid reflux resulting in heartburn, it is more potent to take it after meals. Below are ways you can take it:

1. Take a warm cup of tea that help with heartburn relief such as Chamomile tea, Cardamom tea or even milk with a teaspoonful of cinnamon and honey after meal. 
2. You can also incorporate cinnamom in any kind of food, not simply tea alone, to relieve symptoms of heartburn, including cold symptoms.

Be that as it may, most societies and studies had demonstrated that to ease problems related to food digestion and absorption, numerous individuals take it in combination of a hot refreshment and beverage. 

 

There are other methods for utilizing cinnamon to accomplish its digestive advantages. One may use it as spice, others sniff it, and many ways of incorporate it into food or drinks. The method of utilizing the herb relies on the person, his taste and the nature of its illness. Sprinkle it on a toast or add it to spread or cream cheddar. It also runs down extremely well with different prepared natural products, for example, fruits, peaches, and in addition fruit juices and organic product juices to stop heartburn.

Cinnamon exists as grounded powder form or the bark form. It is less demanding to utilize cinnamon that is grounded rather than getting the barks to granulate for yourself. There are numerous ways that you can utilize cinnamon in delicious and straightforward way. In case you have the bark, you can soak it into your tea in a manner that really improves the kind of the tea. 

• Precautionary measures for using cinnamon

If you are pregnant or breast feeding your baby, abstain from utilizing therapeutic doses of cinnamon or cinnamon bark for your heartburn treatment. Those suffering from stomach ulcers have to maintain a strategic distance or refrain from taking Cinnamon. Cinnamon essential oil is dangerous when consumed past a certain quantity and is best utilized topically on the skin or on outer items for the purpose of aroma. 

What's more, be cautious regarding applying cinnamon to the skin – a few individuals reacts to it due to the sensitivity of their skin. Test a little area of your skin with cinnamon before commencing any treatment. Using cinnamon is undoubtedly a good home remedy for heartburn and will definitely work to relieve symptoms of GERD, acid reflux, indigestion and heartburn.

3 Simple Weight Loss Tips for Heartburn Relief

There are various weight loss tips you will find but many are not suitable for people seeking for  heartburn relief. Most of these "how to lose weight fast tips" actually aggravate GERD symptoms such as frequent heartburn. Being over weight poses its own health challenges and when coupled with frequent heartburn, it becomes necessary to shed some pounds. Why? Excess stomach fat exerts pressure on the stomach and the LES resulting in acid reflux or back up of stomach acid into the esophagus, causing its irritation which is refers to as heartburn. 

Dieting and exercising had always been the available weight loss solutions. Conventional dieters often consume food such as diet coke and other formula of consuming fewer calories each day which may not be good for those seeking for heartburn cures. On the other hand, most recommended exercises are stressful. Both dieting formulas and stressful exercises are heartburn triggers and can make heartburn get worse. Several other issues related to these weight loss strategies include increase in hunger pangs which tend to make your stomach produce more acid, increase craving for more sugar and heartburn food triggers.

Also dieting alone can simply reduce the quantity of calories consumed each day resulting to slowing down of metabolism and storage of additional fat in the body. So here are the best effective ways to losing weight for heartburn sufferers.

Weight loss tips 1 - Know your body calorie limit.

To lose weight fast when having heartburn you have to grasp how exactly your body works and the amount of energy in form of calories your body needs for proper functioning without adding extra fat.

According to Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes macro-nutrients report, 2002, the Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) for sedentary adult male is between 2,000 to 2,400 calories while that of sedentary female is between 1,600 to 2,000 calories.

This means that if you consume within this range you will neither lose nor gain weight. So as heartburn sufferer, try not to eat more calories than your body needs. It requires additional calorie burning activities to lose weight. Two simple ones for heartburn sufferer are described below.

 Weight loss tips 2 - Get more active.

The human body is inherently predisposed genetically not to get involved in physical activities. This has been one of the reason people add fat to their body - constantly maintaining a state of rest.

Instead of sitting in front of the television watching a star movie and ordering for the best menu available get to the kitchen and preparing it yourself. You can train your body to outwit the natural desire of maintaining a state of rest by deciding to be more active. This will burn more calories and produce wonderful weight loss result.

Moderate activities like house chores are known to burn about 100 calories for 30 minutes. According to Dr. Phil McGraw, the author of "The Ultimate Weight Solution", three times of doing house work for 20 minutes each (1 hour) will burn 200 calories. This is a goal achievable daily summing up to 1,400 calories in a week.

Weight loss tips 3 -  Do exercises that are not stressful.

As you may know, stress is a heartburn trigger and engaging in stressful exercise means your heartburn will get worse. A good exercise you can do that is not stressful is walking. Walking quite a distance is an excellent way of burning calories.

According to Dr. Peter Miller, walking one mile will burn 100 calories whether by moderate walking for about 20 minutes or running. Thus, walking 2 mile for about 40 minutes after dinner will burn at least 200 calories. A whooping 1,400 calories burned for a week!

Meanwhile, this is not hard to do, as you can even go for about 20 minutes walk during lunch and the remaining after your dinner. You can also walk indoors around your home for convenience.

Being moderate is key!

Whether you are eating, eat moderately to consume within your body calorie limit. Get involved in doing the house chore activities and walking at least one mile a day. By eating the right quantity and quality of food, becoming more busing doing house work 1 hour and walking 40 minutes daily, you will burn about 2,800 calories a week and 11,200calories in 4 weeks. How does this translate to the amount of fat burn from your body?

Research shows that 3,500 calories is equivalent to one pound of fat. Hence losing 11,400 calories means losing 3.2 pounds of fat in four weeks. And if you can double the time for your house chore or other moderate activities only, you will lose more than 4 pounds in 4 weeks.

You will lose weight and stop heartburn if you make use of these simple weight loss tips and home remedies for heartburn.

Heartburn Medicine for Acid Reflux Treatment? Types of Over-the-Counter drugs and What you should know about them.

Varieties of heartburn medicine for acid reflux treatment exist to get fast heartburn relief when the
pains starts with the long run motive of getting cured. From mild to severe cases of heartburn your doctor or pharmacist may have prescribed the drugs for you or you may have bought it at your local pharmacy shop as over-the-counter medication for heartburn treatment. What you may not have known is that there are several types of heartburn medicines for different degree and the duration of heartburn. You may not have also understand how this medications work, their general effect on your gastrointestinal tract or body system. In this article you will find out the types and know more about them, which I believe will help you to seek for better options for curing your heartburn.

Frequent and severe heartburn is the most common manifestation of acid reflux, indigestion and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and may also be a sign of other underlying disease such as peptic ulcer disease (PUD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), hiatal hernia and others. So it is best to seek the advice of a doctor before resulting to taking heartburn medicine. Normally the first option to curing heartburn starts from using home remedies for heartburn which include lifestyle changes, diet switch and natural remedies.

Types of OTC medicine use to treat occassional and mild heartburn are: Antacids, histamine
receptor antagonist (HRA) OTC, and the proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) OTC.

These medications are classified in order of their effectiveness ranging from the antacids to the PPI which are most effective, but with more side effect. They are  used to neutralize or reduce the stomach acid (thus, also called Acid Reducers) and prevent their build up in other to curb their backing up into the food pipe - esophagus through the lower esophagal sphincter (LES), where they usually cause the heartburn pain.

Heartburn Medicine: Group 1 - Antacids.

 

The antacids are known to provide instant relief from occassional and mild heartburn. Their effect is usually short lived about 30 minutes to 2 hours. They may be liquid (in the form of suspension) or solid which are chewable however, the liquid work faster than tablets form. The antacids neutralize stomach acid in other to produce heartburn relief caused by indigestion or GERD. Some, such as Pepto-Bismol coat the esophagus acting as a barrier between the lining of the esophagus and stomach acid.

They don't usually cause serious side effects (contraindications) but they can occur when taken in
excess, overuse or abuse. Side effect usually include diarrhea, stomach cramps, changes in bowel movement and others depending on your body system. Therefore, you should take antacids exactly as directed by your doctor or by following the label on the package.

Examples of antacids include:

• Gaviscon

• Alka-Seltzer

• Polygel

• Gelusil

• Milk of Magnesia

• Maalox

• Pepto-Bismol.

 

Heartburn Medicine: Group 2 - Histamine receptor antagonist (HRA) OTC.

 

Histamine receptor antagonist (HRA) OTC or H2 blocker function to reduce stomach acid hence also classified as acid reducers. Histamine is a chemical in the body that is involve in proper digestion of food. It stimulates the production of acid after meal, consequently H2 blocker are taken to suppress their effect thereby reducing the quantity of acid produce in the stomach.

H2 blocker can actually relief heartburn and help cure reflux but this is most likely to occur if you have never treated heartburn before and it's still in the mild case. At bedtime, they can be taken to reduce night time stomach acid production and heartburn.

Examples of HRA OTC are:

• Axid AR

• Zantac 75

• Tagamet HB

• pepcid AC

Their side effects may include headache, abdominal discomfort and pain, diarhea, flatulence (gas), and dizziness.

Heartburn Medicine: Group 3 - Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) OTC.

PPIs OTC med work by blocking and reducing the production of stomach acid. Their action as stomach acid reducers is more pronounced and last longer than others. They are the most effective medication available in terms of reduction in stomach acid secretion.

Some of the PPIs that are available at your local medicine store which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved as over-the-counter drugs in treating frequent or severe heartburn and acid reflux symptoms occurring more than 2 times in a week are:

• Prevacid 24HR (lansoprazole),

• Prilosec OTC (omeprazole), 

• Zegerid OTC (omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate). 

They are intended to be taken in not more than a period of 14 days (2 weeks) and in lower doses; and not more than 3 times a year. The best time to take PPIs is usually an hour before meal time. 

Their side effect can also include headache, bloating (feeling of being full), constipation, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, flatulence, and very high risk of bacterial infection and bone fracture.

  

What we have learn about OTC medication use in treating acid relux

The OTC first regime of treatment of heartburn due to acid reflux, indigestion or GERD using medication is antacids. If symptoms persist, H2 blockers are use for mild and occasional cases, then progress to using PPI OTC for severe cases.

All these types of medication poses different side effects. Infact, people with kidney disease are advice not to take antacid except by doctor recommendation.

A safer way of getting rid of heartburn at the onset without side effect is by using simple home remedies for heartburn which include lifestyle change, diet switch, losing weight and stop smoking.

Please contact your doctor if you must use heartburn medicine to treat your acid reflux.

Symptoms of Heartburn - What does Heartburn Feel Like?

Knowing what heartburn feel like is key to curing it!Recognizing the symptoms of heartburn and knowing what does heartburn feel like is important as it will enable you to seek for treatment and remedies early to avoid further complications. Symptoms may be similar in almost everyone suffering from frequent heartburn due to acid reflux disease or indigestion however, foods and other lifestyles that trigger heartburn may be different.

Symptoms of heartburn - Does everyone feel the same

It is true that everyone may not feel all the symptoms at the same time, but there are common symptoms. Even though you may not feel all the symptoms, it's important that you know all of them and evaluate yours to know whether complications will soon surface. Majority of people who sought for home remedies for heartburn often want to know "what is heartburn" and "what does heartburn feel like". This is because its symptoms can be confusing with that of other ailments such as heart diseases, agina or heart attack.

 

Symptoms of heartburn - List of signs of heartburn to look out for.

From my personal experience and others I have interviewed, the most common symptoms of heartburn are:

• A burning sensation in the chest that is painful and radiating behind the breastbone;

• A burning pain and sensation in the chest that got worse when you lie down, bend over, eat too full or at night;

• Feeling of pressure around your epigastric region (upper stomach) and behind your breastbone;

• Feeling like food has stuck in chest or esophagus (throat) after you finish eating; 

• Regurgitation or feeling of wanting to vomit. This is due to acid backing up into your esophagus or indigestion;

• Bloating (feeling your stomach is filled with gas) and burping;

• A sour or bitter taste in your mouth. This is because acidic content from your stomach make its way to the back of your throat leaving the unusual taste in your mouth; 

• others are burning in the throat, hoarseness, sore throat and cough.

One thing you should know is that the symptoms are often worse at night when lying down, after a heavy meal, when one has delayed gastric emptying or indigestion. They may wake you up at night and also makes it difficult to sleep at night.

Symptoms of heartburn - Uncommon signs.

 

In my case and from others, there are situations where in addition to the above symptoms you will experience some unusual symptoms. This includes:

• Chest pain that radiates to your neck and shoulders. In fact, I felt so much pain and weakness in my neck and arms that I felt i was having heart attack, even the doctors were confused until electro-cardiograhic test and others were carried out to ascertain that it's heartburn;

• Pains when swallowing. This signal the onset of injury to the esophagus;

• In severe cases you may feel light-headedness, dizziness, or feeling faint or shortness of breath;

• Vomiting or frequent nausea;

• Persistent hiccups;

• Poor appetite due to difficulty eating and it's resulting to weight loss;

• Spitting blood.

 

Symptoms of heartburn - When to see the doctor.

 

Because of the serious and painful nature of severe heartburn I encourage you to book an appointment with your doctor:

1.  As soon as you start experiencing any of the "common symptoms" two or more times within a week. This is the best time because it will help you talk to your doctor and know what to do on time to stop it. 

      2.  If you are using over-the-counter medications and heartburn symptoms still don't go away.

      3.  If you are using over-the-counter medicine longer than as it's specified on the label. This brought to mind that before you take any over-the-counter medication, please go through the label first.

      4. The heartburn is debilitating that it's becoming difficult for you to carry out your daily
           activities.

      5.  Please go and see your doctor right away if you are experiencing any of the uncommon       symptoms mentioned above. The reason is because other serious disease conditions may be responsible.

      6.  In case you are passing out black or bright red stool go see physician.

Knowing the signs of heartburn is a key to knowing how to get rid of heartburn.   Before you go ahead seeking for heartburn treatment and/or home remedies for heartburn, I strongly feel you should know the symptoms of heartburn.


 

What causes heartburn - Identify Your Heartburn Triggers.

What causes heartburn that is frequent and severe is GERD. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is not a disease per say but a situation where the acid reflux and the consequent heartburn occur more than two times in a week. The reason why people suffer from gerd is because the valve between the neck of the esophagus and the stomach – the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) has lost its normal functionality. In this article you will discover what could have been causing your heartburn.

 Normally when you eat, the LES has to relax and open to allow food enter the stomach from the gullet and then closes back to prevent food and stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. But when the LES cannot close tightly to prevent the back flow of acidic stomach content into the food pipe – the esophagus, acid has to reflux. The reasons for this are:

1.     The  LES may have become weak or relax to allow for acid reflux; 
2.       There could be too much pressure on the stomach that’s forcing the LES to open.

What causes heartburn: Weak and relaxing LES.

Certain foods are known to weaken or "relax" the valve, making reflux more likely. A weak LES over time is enough to cause chronic heartburn. Here are some major foods that weaken and relax your LES or increase the amount of acid secretion in the stomach when you consume them thus, triggering heartburn.

• Peppermint, spearmint, mint gums and other mint-flavored candies; 
• Spicy and peppery foods, Chili, garlic, and onions;
• Acidic fruits such as Oranges, pineapples, grapefruit, and lemons, as well as citrus juices.
• Tomatoes, tomato sauce, soup, and tomato juice are all high in acid.
• Chocolate, coffee (including decaf) and tea promote heartburn.  
• Carbonated drinks such as Sodas and Coca-cola.
• Margarines, mayonnaise, Creamy soups and salad dressings often trigger heartburn because of their fat content. Butter and food cooked in butter whether low-acid foods or alkaline can linger in the stomach and cause heartburn.
• Fried and fatty foods which tend to slow down digestion.
• Smoking encourages acid production and cause the sphincter to relax.
• Alcohol –wine, beer, even your favorite cocktail relaxes the LES and increases the production of stomach acid.

What causes heartburn: too much pressure on the stomach.

Excessive pressure on the abdomen make it easier for the stomach acids to flow back into the esophagus. As a rule, anything that increases the pressure on the abdomen can promote back flow of stomach contents to the esophagus. For some people they do not have a faulty LES but they constantly put pressure on their stomach which causes the LES to open. Ways we exert pressure on the stomach are:

• Eating too much of food. Large meals create pressure and also make the stomach to produce too much acid.
• Eating too quickly or on the run.
• Eating late at night or before bedtime. 
•  Slow digestion – some people may have delayed gastric emptying as a result of diabetes, the type of food they ate or other reasons. 
•  Overweight: Medical researchers have discovered that a weak LES is more common with people who are obese. Some people experience heartburn only when their weight passes a particular limit. What happen is that the stomach fat put pressure on the top of the stomach and the LES which result to heartburn. If you cannot ascertain if you are overweight, it is time to get close to the scale and the bmi chart to find out and then a weight loss program. 
• Pregnancy: Hormonal changes during the first trimester of pregnancy seem to weaken and relax the LES pregnancy.  At later stages, the baby physically putting pressure on the woman's digestive tract is the big problem.
•  Stress and exercise may also put pressure in your stomach or cause your stomach to produce excess acid. 
• Wearing tight clothes which can put pressure on your stomach.

Other causes of heartburn are medicine use to treat heart problems, asthma, high blood pressure and some antibiotics. Disease condition such as causes of heartburn and other digestive problems can also cause heartburn. So it is better you consult your doctor before arriving at a conclusion.

Even when you are taking acid reflux medicine, the general rule is to avoid heartburn food triggers and stop unhealthy lifestyle that put pressure on your stomach until your heartburn is cured. However, the list above is just a guide because not all of them may trigger your heartburn. You should have a diary of the specific foods and situations that triggers your heartburn and avoid them.

I believe you can identify your heartburn triggers and take action accordingly. Like I said if you can’t identify yours after reading this article, visit your doctor. Using home remedies for heartburn after knowing what causes heartburn is “key” to heartburn cures.