Stop heartburn

In order for you to achieve total recovery from heartburn, or from any medical condition for that matter, is to start living healthy. Avoid anything that can trigger the onset or the permanency of heartburn.

1. Get enough exercise and eat a well balanced diet. Avoid foods and beverages that can trigger, aggravate or induce heartburn. Avoid acidic food and beverages, caffeinated drinks, chocolates, spicy and fatty foods, alcoholic and carbonated beverages.

2. Avoid stress and skipping meals. Eat right and eat on time. Skipping meals can cause stomach pains that may lead to ulcer and GERD.

3. When eating, eat slowly and chew you food properly. Do not rush, savor your meal and chew the food many times before swallowing as this helps proper digestion.

4. Avoid one big heavy meal after passing a meal or two within a day. This will make your stomach bloat, thus causing much acid production in your digestive system. Eat several small meals a day.

5. Do not sleep right after a meal. If you need to, sleep on your left side.

6. Smoking is one factor that causes heartburn. The nicotine content in cigarettes can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter that closes the esophagus and prevents the stomach acids from entering it.

1. Antacids are the more common relief for heartburn. It neutralizes the stomach acids upon contact that helps ease the pain caused by heartburn.

2. Histamine receptor antagonists (HRA) are drugs that help decrease the amount of acid that the stomach produces. It suppresses the stomach acid from coming up the esophagus, hence, stopping heartburn in the process.

3. Proton pump inhibitors are also drugs prescribed by doctors to stop the stomach from releasing acid into the intestines. PPIs are normally prescribed to patients suffering heartburns, ulcers and excessive stomach acid production.

4. Promotility agents are drugs that speed up digestion. It is usually a last resort drug prescribed by doctors to GERD patients who do not respond well to PPIs and HRAs.

Whatever you do, do not take aspirins in treating a headache if you have a history or an episode of heartburn. Aspirin may aggravate or trigger heartburn if you do not have an episode at the moment, so it's best to avoid this drug as much as possible.

1. Radiofrequency treatment is an endoscopic procedure performed on patients suffering GERD. It is a bit invasive but the patient can go home after the procedure.

2. Fundoplication is also a procedure to treat GERD patients. This surgical procedure is more invasive and its purpose is to reduce acid reflux that causes heartburn.

If you suffer a mild case of heartburn, it wouldn't hurt to try the natural ways of stopping heartburn at the very first instance. The key is to live and eat healthy to avoid occurrences.

If you have heartburn for quite a while now, you should consult a doctor right away. Do not attempt to just ingest any over-the-counter drugs to suppress and stop heartburn on your own. It is always best to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and prescription drugs to stop heartburn.

If you would like to learn more about the natural ways of curing heartburn, please check out the recommended treatments in the next section.