Home Remedy for Heartburn

Many sufferers of heartburn look for a home remedy for heartburn instead of using drugs or medications that may irritate their stomach and add to the problem. Heartburn is a burning sensation in the esophagus as some of the stomach juices are refluxed into the esophagus. This condition can be slight or very intense and normally occurs after eating food. Even if you cannot get rid of your heartburn entirely you can treat the symptoms of heartburn.

Heartburn can be triggered by specific foods and the easiest way to treat heartburn related to food is by simply avoiding those foods that may irritate or cause heartburn. You also can attempt to decrease the portion sizes of those foods that may irritate your heartburn. Many individuals experience heartburn when they are lying down and you may need to wait a few hours after eating before you go to bed to stop this.

Another easy fix for the heartburn you get from lying down after you eat. Sometimes if the heartburn is not real serious you can raise the head of the bed with blocks by 3 to 4 inches. Another option is the wedge pillow to do the same thing by getting the top of your body higher than your stomach. This will help to keep the acids down in the stomach where they belong.

Many people use ginger root as home remedy for heartburn.  One of the properties of ginger is its ability to absorb excessive acids in the stomach as well as its calming effects.  This is useful as stress can be a major factor in contributing to heartburn.  Certain herbs such as goldenseal and gentian root are also helpful to alleviate heartburn.

Stress can also be a major cause of heartburn and indigestion and may just be the underlying cause of most cases. It will not heart to learn about The Best Stress Reduction Techniques on The Effects of Stress on the Body.

Slippery elm can soothe a sore throat that is a symptom of heartburn. Slippery elm contains mucilage, which swells when in contact with water. It is thought that this mucilage coats the esophagus to treat your throat irritation. This herb is frequently found in throat lozenges. It should be noted that no studies have been conducted linking slippery elm to heartburn.

One home remedy for heartburn that seems counterintuitive, yet is very effective, is to drink a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water.  Simple stir up to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into a glass of warm water and drink it slowly.  It may burn slightly, but the relief should be nearly immediate for most people.

Heartburn can be aggravated by drinking carbonated or fizzy beverages.  These types of drinks can increase the pressure in your stomach, add to the bloated feeling and eventually cause the stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus.  Drinks such as cola can actually harm the stomach lining and cause other problems.

Certain medications can cause heartburn.  Your pharmacist can identify which prescription medicines can irritate your stomach and assist you and your doctor in managing the medications.  Keep in mind that eating too late at night is not a good idea.  Your stomach needs time to digest food and ideally, you should stop eating at least two hours before heading off to bed.

Natural Cures for Heartburn

Natural cures for heartburn are available, whether you have only had heartburn once or twice, or suffer regularly. There are many factors involved which can create heartburn. If you are overweight, it is not uncommon to experience frequent heartburn. This is generally the result of a hiatal hernia. This condition is also known to be quite common in pregnant women. More often than not heartburn is the result of over eating and most often very spicy foods. If your stomach stays empty for long periods of time, and especially if you consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes, you are likely to experience heartburn. If you are concerned about the frequency at which you experience heartburn, you should definitely discuss it with your doctor in order to rule out a more serious condition.

Be Warned About the Most Popular Method

There's a very popular method of relieving heartburn, which you should know that although it is effective, can be harmful and even very dangerous. This is baking soda and water. If you are pregnant or nursing a baby, or if you have high blood pressure, you should never attempt this method of eliminating heartburn. Baking soda has a very high salt content, which is known to cause complications during pregnancy, and is very dangerous to young children. This salt content is also known for complicating hypertension and could possibly lead to heart condition.

A Common Method That Makes it Worse

Many people believe that a glass of milk will help to alleviate heartburn. This is far from true. Milk surprisingly, is quite acidic, and will likely make your heartburn worse. At first a cold glass of milk may seem to cure the heartburn, but soon after it will quite likely return along with the sour milk taste.

A couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into a glass of water can be a quick natural cure for heartburn. Some people take two teaspoons a day (mixed in a cup of water or juice.) A tablet of 285 milligrams is another common dosage. As well as being a natural cure for your heartburn, this will save you money, as apple cider vinegar is quite inexpensive. Another method for curing heartburn, believe it or not is eating cucumbers or pickles.

You may even find that if you eliminate certain foods from your diet, or lose even a small amount of weight your heartburn will be cured. Always make the healthiest choices available. Avoid using too much salt, too many spices and more fat than is necessary. Also, do not over eat; this is the surest way to get heartburn.

There are so many wonderful natural cures provided by aloe vera. Heartburn is no exception. Heartburn can be cured naturally, by adding several ounces of aloe vera juice to a glass of water. These days health food stores are pretty common, so you shouldn't have any difficulty finding this.

They say the best cure is prevention. So although there are many natural cures for heartburn available, probably the best cure available is to avoid getting it to begin with.