How to Reduce Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Heartburn or acid reflux occurs when the acid in your stomach flows in your esophagus, which causes irritation and inflammation. This causes a burning and painful sensation in your throat and chest. However, acid reflux is quite common and there are several methods to alleviate the pain and reduce your heartburn. These include both natural and over the counter remedies.

Natural Remedies for Relief from Heartburn or Acid Reflux

Before resorting to using over-the-counter medication to treat your heartburn, there are a few natural remedies you can try at home. These remedies are safe and simple to do and can significantly reduce your discomfort.

Consume Certain Beverages and Food

When suffering from heartburn, there are certain beverages and food items that you can consume to get relief. These include:

•    Ginger Tea: Ginger tea is a great beverage for providing relief from several health problems, one of them being acid reflux. To get the best results, add some ginger in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes and drink it without adding milk or sugar.

•    Mustard: Mustard is an alkaline food that’s rich in minerals and contains small amounts of vinegar. When you experience heartburn, consume a spoonful of mustard to balance your pH levels and soothe your symptoms.  

•    Fermented Foods: Fermented food items (such as Kimchi) can be very helpful for your heartburn as well. The process of fermentation helps to break down raw vegetables into peptides and amino acids, which increase the pH level of the food. This helps in healing your stomach lining and reducing stomach inflammation.

•    Almonds: Even though no studies have get the reason for it yet, many patients have claimed that consuming almonds helps with their acid reflux. Snack on raw, organic, and salt-free almonds to avoid the consumption of any harmful chemicals.

•    Aloe Juice: While aloe juice is generally used to soothe burn injuries, it can help in the healing process during acid reflux as well. Drinking a glass of aloe juice will help you avoid irritation, calm your esophagus, and limit the inflammation of your stomach.

•    Chamomile Tea: Consuming chamomile tea before sleeping will balance the pH level of your stomach. This will help reduce your discomfort and allow you to sleep peacefully.

•    Acidic Food: As mentioned earlier, acid reflux may also be caused due to a lack of acid in your stomach. When this happens, a great way to soothe your pain is to consume acids such as raw apple cider vinegar to reduce the pH level of your stomach.

Lifestyle Changes

Other than consuming certain food items, you can commit to many changes in your lifestyle as well, which can help you relieve the pain, such as:

•    Wear Loose Fitting Clothes: Tight clothes tend to press on your stomach and may cause the acid inside to rise. You should avoid tight jeans, belts, corsets, and any other clothes that press on your stomach when you’re sitting or standing.

•    Avoid Smoking: Nicotine relaxes the valve that separates your stomach and esophagus, which may lead to the acid escaping to your esophagus and causing heartburn.

•    Monitor Your Weight: Overweight patients are more likely to experience acid reflux due to the extra pressure that is put on their internal organs. This extra pressure could loosen the valve between your esophagus and stomach which might let the acid to escape.

•    Track Your Triggers: Triggers are certain food items that are more likely to cause heartburn in your body. They vary from person to person and you must pay close attention to your body to identify them. After identifying a trigger, you should stay away from it to reduce the chances of heartburn.

Some Beverages and Food to Avoid

There are certain food and beverages that you shouldn’t consume when it comes to heartburn. The most important of these are listed below:

•    Alcohol: Just as nicotine does, alcohol relaxes the valve between your stomach and esophagus. Moreover, when you consume alcohol, your stomach tends to produce more acid, which can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

•    Citrus Juices: Drinks made from oranges, limes, and other citrus fruits are quite acidic and will increase your acid reflux instead of relieving it.

•    Soft Drinks and Soda: These drinks are generally carbonated and contain bubbles. These bubbles, upon entering your stomach, expand and increase the pressure on your sphincter. This might push stomach acid into your esophagus, causing acid reflux.

Even though acid reflux or heartburn is a common issue, it has to be treated to reduce pain. There are several natural remedies and lifestyle changes you can employ to reduce the effects of your heartburn. However, if symptoms persist, you should use over the counter medicines.

To know which type of medicine is best suited for you, you must consult your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing any medicine.