How to get rid of heartburn
Are you wondering how to get rid of heartburn? If you have ever felt chest pains right after you eat a big meal, you may have heartburn symptoms. If you would love to know how to get rid of heartburn, we have tips and tricks for you.
What is heartburn?
Heartburn is a burning sensation in your chest, right behind your breastbone. You may experience heartburn symptoms after you eat, when you are lying down, or when you bend over.
Many people experience heartburn, which is very common, especially when you eat a big meal or anything greasy. Some spicy foods can cause you to get heartburn as well.
If you get heartburn occasionally, there is no need to worry. Many foods can trigger heartburn and ways to prevent heartburn as well.
Most people can easily take care of the discomfort of heartburn. Sometimes changing your diet or over-the-counter medications can help.
Many things can cause heartburn. If you experience symptoms of heartburn, these may be the causes of it.
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How does one get it?
There are several ways that one can develop heartburn. Heartburn happens when your stomach acid backs up in the esophagus.
Some several foods and drinks cause heartburn.
You should avoid foods and drinks such as:
- Alcohol– Alcohol can relax your lower esophageal sphincter.
- Coffee and Orange Juice – These two beverages can trigger or make heartburn worse.
- Fatty foods, fried foods, and acidic foods – For example, oranges, grapefruits, and tomatoes can cause heartburn.
- Spicy foods – Everyone is different, but spicy foods are known to give people heartburn.
- Sodas – bubbly drinks can often give people heartburn.
Some people have gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, for short. This is chronic heartburn and a serious form of acid reflux, and heartburn is the symptom.
If you experience heartburn more than twice a week, a checkup with your doctor may be a good idea.
Heartburn symptoms
There are a few symptoms of heartburn. If you experience heartburn, the symptoms of heartburn include:
- Burning in your chest that happens a few hours after eating and may occur at night
- Pain that occurs when you bend over or when you lay down
- Bitter or acidic taste in your mouth
- Difficulty swallowing
How to get rid of heartburn? Sometimes, when heartburn happens, some people think they have heartburn, acid reflux, or heart attacks. If you are suffering from acid reflux, some of the symptoms include:
- Heartburn: A sour taste in the back of your throat or feeling like something is stuck in your throat—chest pains when you bend over or lay down.
- Regurgitation: This is a very common symptom of acid reflux. This is when food backs up in your throat or mouth. This can produce a sour or bitter taste. These are wet burps that you experience.
- Dyspepsia: This is a syndrome that causes stomach discomfort. Some people suffer from chronic acid reflux and heartburn. This could be the cause.
If you experience any of these symptoms for each of these illnesses, you may want to contact a primary care provider if you think the symptoms could possible get worse.
You can try certain beverages to help relieve your heartburn as well.
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What can I drink to relieve heartburn?
There are several beverages that you can drink to get some heartburn relief. Herbal teas help improve digestion and soothe stomach issues. Some teas are a great relief for gas and nausea.
Caffeine-free herbal teas are the best for acid reflux. However, it is advised to avoid peppermint and spearmint because these may be triggers to acid reflux.
Chamomile, licorice, slippery elm, and marshmallow may be best for heartburn and help soothe GERD symptoms.
Some people say that milk helps them. However, cow’s milk is very hard to digest for many people, especially ones who want to know how to get rid of heartburn. It can contain a lot of fat and could make your heartburn worse. Fruit juice is also suggested to help with heartburn. However, many fruit juices are acidic and will make heartburn worse.
The less acidic juices are carrot juice, aloe vera juice, cabbage juice, and freshly juiced drinks like beets, watermelon, and pear juice. If these beverages do not help with your heartburn, there are several ways to treat heartburn and many ways to prevent it.
Does heartburn go away on its own?
Heartburn, if it is mild, can go away within a few hours or longer. There are several ways that you can treat heartburn and ways to prevent it as well.
There are several ways to help prevent heartburn in general. If you are overweight, you should try to lose weight. This will help reduce heartburn tremendously.
Another way to avoid heartburn is to make some lifestyle changes. Exercising and watching what you eat are also very helpful.
There are several anti-inflammatory foods that you can add to your diet to help prevent heartburn.
Treatments
If you smoke, quitting smoking can help relieve you of heartburn. These are just some changes that you can make in your life to rid your life of heartburn.
Some many over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions can help with this too. Over-the-counter medications are available, and they can help neutralize stomach acid.
Prime examples of these are Maalox, Rolaids, and Tums.
All of these medications are fast working and help you get some heartburn relief. They begin to work very quickly. Some medications help reduce the production of acid. These are named after the receptors that they block.
Some examples of this are Zantac, Axid, Tagamet, and Pepcid. The medications that block acid production altogether are called proton pump inhibitors.
These medications are generally prescribed to help the damaged esophagus. Examples of these are Prilosec and Prevacid.
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Summary
To sum it all up, heartburn is not comfortable or fun at all. It can be rather painful and make you feel like you have a heart attack. Acid reflux is another type of heartburn that can cause pain and be uncomfortable too. So, how to get rid of heartburn?
Many women are prone to heartburn and acid reflux when they are going to have a child. Up to 75% of pregnant women reported having some form of heartburn. Usually, heartburn ends when the baby is born.
If you have been experiencing heartburn or acid reflux more than twice a week, you may want to make an appointment to get some advice or medical diagnosis from your doctor.
If you have made steps to improve your life by quitting smoking, changing your diet, exercising, and drinking less acidic beverages, this should not worry.
Heartburn, acid reflux, and heart attacks are all very similar. However, heart attack symptoms are different. If you experience any heart attack symptoms, we advise you to call your doctor or 911 immediately.
The doctor can give you an x-ray and see if other factors are bothering you too. They can advise you about what to do and guide you in the best direction.
If necessary, your doctor can prescribe you the best medicines for your conditions if you need them. Your health is important, and even if it is a false alarm, it would be much better safe than sorry.
