At some point or another, you have likely experienced the pain of heartburn. You might have eaten something that set off your stomach, or maybe it was from a case of the nerves. If you happen to have gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), heartburn may be a common occurrence. No matter where you stand with heartburn, all that usually goes through a person’s mind when they are dealing with a case of bad heartburn is how to make it stop. In some instances, with the correct know-how, you can help prevent a case of heartburn from striking. However, we don’t live in a perfect world, and heartburn can sometimes spring upon you. Luckily, there are some helpful heartburn home remedies out there that can do the trick, giving you the relief you need.
Even though there are heartburn home remedies available to help, taking preventative measures is always the best choice. If you want to prevent a case of heartburn from occurring, check out these helpful tips and tricks for avoiding heartburn.
• If you like to wear tight jeans often, you may want to rethink your wardrobe. Tightfitting clothing, such as tight jeans, can put more pressure on the abdomen.
• When you are eating, make sure you eat slowly and take small bites. You want to give your digestive system some time to process everything!
• If you smoke, ditching the habit can help you avoid heartburn. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) doesn’t approve of tobacco, which can reduce its ability to keep stomach acids out of your esophagus.
• If you don’t have a diet and exercise regime, now is the best time to get one up. Shedding excess pounds is an excellent way to help heartburn since excess abdominal fat can force stomach acids up into the esophagus.
• If you often go for midnight snacks, make sure you aren’t eating and then heading to bed shortly after. Instead, give your stomach some time to empty before you call it a night and stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime.
• Avoid any food that triggers your heartburn. In the beginning, it may help to keep a food diary. This way, you can keep track of your symptoms based on what you eat. As a starting point, avoid these foods that can cause heartburn:
1. Oily foods
2. Fatty foods
3. Fried foods
4. Tomatoes
5. Chocolate
6. Caffeine
7. Spicy foods
8. Citrus
9. Coffee
10. Alcohol
Unfortunately, while you may try to take all the preventive measures possible, sometimes heartburn can still creep up on you. If heartburn strikes, don’t reach for that bottle of tums. Instead, try out these helpful heartburn home remedies that work.
Baking Soda Water– An old remedy that is probably one of the simplest, is to drink ½ teaspoon of baking soda in one cup of water to relieve the excess acid. Baking soda is usually readily available in most households, and while it may seem strange, baking soda does a beautiful job neutralizing acid.
Ginger– Ginger is potent, very potent, so you don’t need much for it to work its magic. Grinding some fresh ginger and making it into ginger tea is a great way to stimulate digestion and soothe the stomach and the intestines. Ginger also acts as an effective treatment for nausea.
Fresh Pineapple Juice– Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that can help digest proteins, as well as settle your stomach. Bromelain also helps control the levels of hydrochloric acid in your stomach. Just make sure you are reaching for the real thing, not cheap “juice” made from concentrate.
Licorice– If you can stand the taste, licorice works wonders on heartburn and indigestion. Licorice can help protect the stomach from erosive damage by coating the stomach lining, which as a result, can help relieve heartburn.
Apples– An apple a day keeps the doctor away, as well as a bad case of heartburn. Apples are like a natural antacid, a delicious way to get rid of heartburn. While Gala and Braeburn apples work the best, a single slice of apple can help relieve your symptoms in as little as five minutes.
ACV and Water– Drinking a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water can help neutralize stomach acid and balance pH levels. All you need is two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and three to five ounces of water. Mix well and drink up. Feel free to add some raw honey if the taste is too strong.
