Heartburn is often in the top list of things people wanting to get rid of in their day to day life. Heartburn aka the acid re-flux is usually caused by a weak esophageal sphincter. Simply put, esophageal sphincter is a band of muscle that lies at the bottom of the esophagus right above your stomach.
Its main function is to allow foods that you swallow or liquid that you drink to flow into the stomach by opening and closing via contractions of this sphincter. Another important function of this muscle is to allow gases in your stomach to be released through burping. When this band of muscle is weakened or failed to contract properly for any reason, acids in the stomach could now freely escape backward into the esophagus.
When that happens, the acids could irritate the surrounding tissues around the esophagus causing the burning sensations that you have been so familiar with. This is what is commonly referred to as heartburn. It is quite normal that heartburn occurs once in a while in our life but if the acid reflux happens occasionally or even frequently, that could indicate a more severe problem is coming your way. In that case, it would be great to make a visit to your doctor’s clinic to get a complete medical diagnostic to rule out the disease known as GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease, GERD. That disease could be on the card.
If heartburn has been plaguing you a lot, here are some simple home remedies to get rid of the heartburn sensation.
Home Remedies For Severe Heartburn
If you are suffering from heartburn occasionally, especially if you have more severe cases, the most important step would be to avoid overeating. Simple remedial solution by eat lesser portions when dining could help greatly. This is one of the most effective way to get rid of heartburn right away because an over-full stomach is usually the main reason for causing acid reflux.
The esophageal sphincter can be easily opened when the contents inside the stomach push against the it. This is even more evident if the sphincter is weakened. Besides that, also watch what you eat. Avoid taking too much spicy foods as those tend to make the burning sensation worse whenever a reflux happens. Also try to minimize your intake of foods like peppermint, garlic, onions, fatty foods, milk as well as highly acidic foods.
What To Drink When Heartburn Occurs Regularly?
As for drinks, those on the top of the avoid list would be alcoholic beverages and gassy drinks such as carbonated soft drinks. Caffeinated drinks like cola, coffee and tea are best to be avoided too as all these drinks have been known to worsen the heartburn conditions. Some of the highly suggested beverages for acid reflux are herbal teas made from any of these ingredients: chamomile, licorice, marshmallow and slippery elm. If you do not like any of those, plain old water is still the best.
Heartburn Relief By Watching Your Posture
Avoid lying down or sleeping right after a meal as these could alleviate the situation by causing heartburn. Always remember to maintain an upright position for at least an hour or two after meal if you are a heartburn sufferer since acid reflux often occur when you are lying down because that lying position makes it easier for the foods and acids to back up into the esophagus through the already weakened esophageal muscle.
Stop Smoking
If you are a smoker, quit smoking. By stopping the habit of smoking, you can also experience great heartburn relief as the nicotine; a substance found in the cigarette smoke can cause the sphincter muscle to relax. The relaxation of this muscle further contribute to the problem of acid reflux as the sphincter muscle can no longer contract properly under relaxation mode.
These are some of the best heartburn remedies that you can incorporate into your everyday life to prevent heartburn. They can remedy mild to moderate heartburn problem easily but if you are plagued with really bad heartburn, it is better that you seek medical health and follow your doctors advice. Your doctor may prescribe you with proper treatments where necessary.
mukhtiar ali says
there is lot of burden on my head and allwese my stomich born