HEARTBURN CURES - 10 HOT TIPS

Heart burn is a discomfort or pain felt when acid from the stomach travels up into the gullet (lower part of your oesophagus). The gullet is not made to withstand acid and is irritated and inflamed when acid from the stomach comes into contact with it.
Sometimes the pain caused by heart burn can also be felt in the mid-line of the back.
Despite the name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Heart burn is a digestive problem, usually related to meals and posture and can often be relieved by remedies for indigestion. Most people suffer from heart burn at one time or another during their lifetime.

Heart burn is caused by a faulty muscle in the stomach. There is a "flap" at the top of the stomach that stops food from travelling back up into the oesophagus. Sometimes the flap doesn't work properly and stomach acid escapes from the stomach. When the acid escapes, heart burn occurs.
Some things that may contribute to heart burn include pregnancy, smoking, eating large meals, being overweight, and wearing tight clothing around the waist.

1. Try to keep upright as much as possible. You may be feeling terrible, but when you are standing gravity works in your favour to help keep stomach acid where it belongs.
2. This is important, do try to avoid bending over after a meal, and also don't lie down. Both of these can encourage stomach acid to be forced up into the oesophagus.
3. When you feel the first signs of heartburn, drink a large glass of water. This will help to wash the acid back into your stomach.
4. Try this tea to ease the effects of heartburn. Add a teaspoon of freshly grated root ginger to a cup of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes, and drink. It is well known by herbalists that ginger helps to relax the muscles that line the walls of the oesophagus, so stomach acid doesn't get pushed upwards. Other herbal teas recommended by herbalists include teas made from fennel seeds, anise and caraway. Use any one of these to make a tea by adding two teaspoons to a cup of boiling water. Give it ten minutes to brew and then strain.
5. Saliva helps to neutralise stomach acid. Generate some extra by chewing some sugar free gum, or even by thinking about your favourite foods. The extra saliva will help to relieve your symptoms.
6. Try eating either carrot, cucumber, beetroot or even a radish raw. Each of these vegetables is a natural alkaline (the opposite of an acid) and help to neutralise the acid. As an extra treat, try juicing these vegetables and adding some salt and pepper for taste.
7. To half a cup of warm water, add a half teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and a few drops of lemon juice. Remember not to drink the bicarbonate of soda on its own as you need the lemon juice to dispel some of the gas which bicarbonate of soda creates in the stomach when it comes into contact with stomach acid.
8. Another helpful remedy is to drink a large glass of whole milk. This helps to combat the burning sensation as well as making you feel a lot more comfortable.
9. Strange as it may seek, eating an apple does help most, but not all, people.
10. Finally, if those 9 haven't helped then try this Stop Heartburn Fast.

If you smoke, then give up. Apparently, according to research, smoking relaxes the oesophageal sphincter (this is the name given to the flap that stops food travelling back up the oesophagus) thus making the problem worse. Also avoid smoky places as second-hand smoke has the same effect.

Try eating smaller, more frequent meals rather than having the usual three big meals a day. Also, try not to eat too much in one sitting.

If you have trouble through the night, try to eat your last meal about two to three hours before going to bed. It may also help your night time symptoms if you raise the head of the bed by about 10-15 cm. A couple of old telephone directories should do the trick.