Here are seven ways to stop heartburn in its tracks
Listen up everyone, we’ve found seven ways to help stop heartburn in its tracks. We know heartburn or anything heart-related is scary, but you should really listen up.
Maybe even get out a pen and paper and take some notes. Is that too much? No, it’s not, it’s a great idea!
Okay, so let’s get serious for a minute: Heartburn is no cake walk. If you are someone prone to heartburn, you feel like your chest is burning. Or maybe you like there is a spicy feeling in your throat. Either way, we’ve found out how to help alleviate those pains and irritations.
1. Loosen Clothing
According to Healthline, in a piece medically reviewed by Dr. Steven Kim, heartburn is due to your stomach contents being in the wrong place. It usually occurs when your stomach contents move into your esophagus, where stomach acid irritate the tissue. When you get the pain and itchy feelings, you should definitely loosen your clothing. It will help ease any tension that has tightened around your stomach.
2. Stand Up
Another simple solution to ease any awkward discomfort is standing up. If you straighten your back or stand up, it will help your posture. Plus, it will allow your organs more room to spread out and therefore cause less rubbing or pain.
3. Elevate Waist
This is sort of along the same lines as standing up. If you are lying down, or have a hard time moving, this is a good solution. By raising your upper body — all of it, not just your head — you can alleviate any pressure in your stomach or chest. We recommend a wedge pillow that will angle your whole upper body area up.
4. Baking Soda and Water
If you feel like you need more than just moving your body, this could be your ideal helper. All you need is baking soda and water to create a helpful remedy. The baking soda is used to calm heartburn and neutralize stomach acids. For the best results, use a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water — then slowly drink up.
5. Start Chewing Gum
Fun fact: Gum is also an acid neutralizer. According to Dr. Atif Iqbal — the director of MemorialCare Digestive Care Center in California — it increases saliva. “Any acid that has built up in the gut is diluted and washed away or cleared out more quickly,” the doctor explained.
6. Avoid Cigarette Smoke
This one might seem obvious, but it can definitely be helpful in the end. If you smoke yourself, you will add to the discomfort of heartburn. Therefore, staying clear of anyone else smoking can keep you from having more symptoms.
7. Take Medication
The good news is there are a lot of over the counter medicines you can take for heartburn troubles. There are three different types of these medicines including, antacids, H2 blockers and protein pump inhibitors (PPIs).
Antacids are used to simply neutralize stomach acids, while H2s help prevent the symptoms from starting. PPIs block the acid from being produced, and reduces the acid your stomach makes all together.
While these tips are beneficial for anyone with these troubles, if you have a LOT of heartburn incidents, go to your doctor. Every case is different, and it’s always a good idea to get specialized help.
