Home Remedies for Heartburn

You’ve just eaten dinner and there it is starting just behind the breastbone. That burning, tingling sensation along with chest pain that almost feels like a heart attack, accompanied by stomach pain, nausea and a sour taste in the mouth. Heartburn, Dyspepsia, acid indigestion, it doesn’t matter what you call it, all the person suffering from this condition wants is relief. These symptoms usually occur after eating or drinking certain liquids, and are caused by hydrochloric acid. Our bodies use hydrochloric acid to digest the food we eat, so normally this isn’t a problem. However, in the case of heartburn, hydrochloric acid backs up into the esophagus, inflaming the delicate tissues in the esophagus and throat. When lying down this can lead to an explosion of coughing, acid filling the mouth and a severe burning that even spreads to the neck and ears.

Usually the esophageal sphincter muscle contracts as needed, keeping the stomach acid from moving up into the esophagus. If this muscle is not doing its job, the acid will pass by it causing what is called Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, because it is the fault of the muscle for failing to do what it is supposed to. It’s also known as acid reflux disease, or plain old heartburn.

Don’t try ignoring this problem if it becomes a recurring one. Left untreated the continual flow of acid through the esophagus can lead to scarring and erosion, and create permanent changes in the lining of the cells. This can cause cancer years down the road.

If your problem is only an occasional condition, here are some home remedies for heartburn that must might help.

Curing Heartburn at Home

1. Be aware of the causes of heartburn: Drinking alcohol or coffee, smoking and eating foods high in acid can all bring on heartburn. Some other common causes are chocolate, raw onions, garlic, black pepper and spices.
2. If your solution to heartburn is to use antacids, consider this: Antacids reduce nutrient absorption such as iron and, an important fact for those suffering from hypertension, they increase blood pressure and may even cause kidney problems. All this and to top it off, their relief is short-term only.
3. Herbs and vegetables: The ideal cure for heartburn that is not a daily or frequent occurrence, is the use of herbs and vegetables. Even a raw carrot has been known to stop heartburn.
4. Papaya chewable tablets: These can be purchased in most health stores and they are excellent for reducing heartburn. The enzymes in papaya help to speed up the digestive process and can definitely ease or stop altogether the discomfort of heartburn.
5. Aloe Vera juice: Drink a few ounces of Aloe Vera juice to heal the intestinal tract and the esophagus. You can’t go wrong here, as this is beneficial to your body in many other ways as well.
6. Licorice: Doctors have had success using Licorice to treat heartburn and stomach and esophagus ulcers.
7. Water: In cases of mild or very mild heartburn, drink a large glass of water at the first indication of heartburn. This should help.
8. Baking soda and warm water: Put 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of very warm but not hot water. Dissolve the baking soda and add water until the liquid is clear. Then drink right away. Instant relief.
9. Herbal teas: All you need is the slightest bit of peppermint, chamomile, ginger, or licorice root in your tea. Drink a cup after dinner and you should have no trouble with heartburn. This is because the herbs help the stomach lining repair itself.
10. You might also try green tea: The Japanese use green tea as an after dinner drink and it seems to have worked well for them. Green tea aids the digestive process and helps soothe the stomach’s delicate tissue.
11. Apple: Another suggestion that seems to work is to eat a half or a whole Gala or Braeburn apple. If you have neither of those than a simple red apple should do. Within 5 minutes you should start to feel relief.
12. It’s also a good idea to keep a food diary of what you eat every day, so that when heartburn occurs you can look back and see what foods may have caused it.. Once you find that certain foods keep turning up, eliminate them from your diet as much as possible.
13. Increase fiber: Consume more foods that are high in fiber. This will help to absorb excess acid. If this isn’t practical, fiber pills and beverages are available.
14. For your information: Doctors no longer recommend drinking milk to alleviate heartburn. It has been proven that while milk temporarily reduces the symptoms it will only increase acid production by the stomach in the end. That leads to more heartburn.

Once again, if you are suffering from recurring heartburn — more than once a week — then you should see your doctor for treatment. You may need acid reducing medications. Don’t take chances with your health. If let go too long, GERD may cause some extremely serious problems, such as esophageal bleeding and ulcers, Barrett’s esophagus, and increase the risk of esophageal cancer.