Heartburn: How to Get Rid of It Fast

Written by Resurchify | Updated on: March 17, 2022

Heartburn is a common problem. However, being common doesn’t mean that a person doesn’t have to go through the pain. Heartburn causes pain above the heart near the lungs. Sometimes, it is bearable for people, while other times, people experience serious pain that is difficult to adjust to. Symptoms of heartburn may also vary from person to person.

Heartburn is an acute problem. You need not visit the doctor. But in some serious cases, the patient should immediately contact a doctor. Here we will discuss everything? When should you visit a doctor? How should you react in case of heartburn? What are the home remedies for heartburn? And, what are the medications? Keep on reading to know everything about it.

Why does Heartburn Occur?

To know the causes of heartburn, we need to go to the digestive system. We have read in our science classes that food passes from the esophagus and then reaches to stomach. That esophagus contains a sphincter at the bottom from where food enters our stomach. The sphincter is a tightly packed opening that opens when food enters the esophagus. It gets tightly closed when food reaches the stomach so that food cannot go back in the reverse direction.

Medical science doesn’t know why sphincters get loose for some time. Sometimes, this sphincter gets loose to allow not food material but acidic juices to enter the esophagus. The gastric juices reach the esophagus and cause pain and a burning sensation inside it. This burning sensation is known as heartburn. It may occur to everybody. But it has been seen that it is common with those who have suffered through it earlier.

Since acidic gastric juices cause it, certain antacids are given to the body to help with this problem. Later, medications are given to tighten the sphincter again.

Though heartburn is quite a common disease and can occur to anyone, frequent heartburn and medications may cause complicated problems, for example, esophagus cancer, abnormal esophageal contraction, and many more. It may even lead to a decrease in the will of eating.

Causes of Heartburn

Some food materials initiate the problem of heartburn. Some of these causes are

Pregnancy
Smoking
Overeating
Overweight
Constipation
Stress and anxiety
Smoking
Hiatal hernia
Alcohol
Sleeping right after taking a meal
caffeine

Symptoms of Heartburn

The most common symptom of heartburn is pain above the belly button. Mostly it is distinguished by this factor. It rarely requires diagnosis. However, it shows some symptoms other than pain and burning sensation. Some of these symptoms are

Stiffness in the chest
Pain in neck and jaw
Discomfort in the stomach
Inflammation
Reflux
Inability to swallow anything
Pain increases in lying
Bitter taste in the mouth

Symptoms of heartburn increase when the person lies down or try to sleep. This is because when a person lies down, the stomach and sphincter come line by line, increasing the risk of more flow of gastric juices in the esophagus. Gastric juices are juices secreted in the stomach to digest food materials. These are highly acidic.

Some Quick Tips to get Instant Relief from Heartburn

Heartburn is a common problem that can be helped by certain simple tips that might help to get instant relief. Here are a few tips to get some relief from this problem.

Wear Loose Clothes

When the sphincter is elevated, trying to push it manually might worsen the conditions. This is exactly done by tight clothes. When our clothes are tight, it leaves quite less space between the sphincter, and when it expands in these conditions, gastric juice finds no way to go back to the stomach, further increasing the problem.

At the moment you know you are suffering from heartburn, immediately loosen your clothes, open up the buttons, untie the belt, and, if possible, change to light loose clothes.

Stand up Straight

Our posture has a lot to do with heartburn. As earlier mentioned, when we lie down, more gastric juices reach our stomach making the problem worse. When you feel a burning sensation, avoid lying down. Stand up straight if possible. Stay in this position unless you feel better.

Elevate your Body

Load your body on your toes and elevate. Rise your toe keeping your hands upward. Rise your toe two to three times. Then, set back and repeat the same process after a few seconds. This will help the gastric juice not to reach the esophagus or set back again. This method might give you instant relief. It is not a permanent solution. You will need to take proper medication after this to get complete relief. It is only for instant relief.

Chewing Gum

Chewing gum is an effective way to get relief from heartburn. Chewing gum releases saliva in large amounts that may dilute the acid present in the esophagus. Reports have shown that it gives instant relief. However, mint chewing gum might give opposite results. It is recommended to eat chewing gum after half an hour of taking a meal. This helps to clear the esophagus.

Home Remedies to get Relief from Heartburn

Certain food materials have proved to effectively reduce the burning sensation due to heartburn. However, all these remedies ease your problem, not completely cure it.

Ginger

Ginger is a proven way to reduce inflammation in the esophagus. It is used as a home remedy for centuries. It effectively reduces nausea, cough, etc. Ginger is an effective solution in decreasing heartburn sensation. To take ginger as a cure for heartburn sensation, add some pieces of ginger to your food. You can add it to your soup, curry, bread, tea. Ginger tea is best known for medical purposes.

Take care to avoid ginger ale for heartburn. It may contain additives that can increase heartburn. Also, ginger ale does not necessarily contain ginger. Certain flavours are used instead of ginger to get the taste.

Turmeric

Turmeric is famous for its medicinal and cosmetics effectiveness. It is in use for centuries. You might find the mention of turmeric in epic books. It is also effective against heartburn. You can take it in curry or mix it in a glass of milk. Turmeric capsules are also effective against it.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is also a proven way to reduce heartburn. It helps to close the sphincter, not allowing the acid from the stomach to enter the esophagus. To make this a remedy, add one or two spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar in half a glass of water. Never forget to dilute the vinegar before taking it. Any type of apple cider vinegar is effective against heartburn.

Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe vera juice is a proven way to reduce inflammation and burning sensation in the chest. It heals the esophagus and gives some relief. Make sure to use only natural and fresh aloe vera juice. Readymade aloe vera juice might contain additives that can cause the opposite effect.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the most effective ways to get relief from heartburn. Baking soda works as an antacid that can neutralize the acid present in the esophagus pipe. However, it is just relief from pain, it cannot close the sphincter to avoid heartburn further.

To take soda, add a spoonful of baking soda to water. Sip it slowly.

Fennel Seeds

You can try fennel seeds for heartburn. It will not only refresh your breath but also heal your food tract. This is effective to get some relief from pain. You can easily take fennel seeds as a mouth refresh. Any time in the day is the best time to eat fennel seeds. Fennel seed tea is also an effective solution.

Apart from all these home remedies, drinking water, cabbage, potato juice, chamomile tea, marshmallow root, and honey tea are also effective against heartburn.

What not to Eat in Heartburn?

This was about what should you eat in heartburn. Now, let’s talk about what not to eat in heartburn. Certain food materials are prohibited to eat during heartburn.

Chocolate

Chocolate increases the amount of acid in the esophagus, worsening the problem of heartburn. So, if chocolate is your life, change your habit.

Carbonated Drink

The carbonated drink has carbon dioxide in rich amounts. This carbon dioxide increases the problem of acid reflux. Thus, drinking carbonated drinks effectively increases the problem of heartburn. Try to avoid carbonated drinks as much as possible. Instead of a carbonated drink, you can have watermelon juice and coconut water that might help to reduce heartburn.

Raw Onion

Raw onion is rich in fermented fiber that might increase the problem of heartburn. It is advised to avoid any type of raw onion when you are suffering from heartburn. It irritates the esophageal area. This might be an effective way to reduce the problem of heartburn.

Coffee

Coffee increases the problem of heartburn. It contains caffeine in a higher amount, increasing the amount of acid in the esophagus. Avoid drinking coffee as much as possible if you face the problem of heartburn regularly. Coffee is the worst habit for a person who frequently faces the problem of heartburn.

Medications to Follow during a Heartburn

Basic food items might help to neutralize the acid present in the esophagus. Also, it helps to provide some relief from pain and irritation. Home remedies and avoiding certain food items only give relief to some extent, medication is also an important thing.

Certain medications that might be followed during heartburn are

Famotidine
Nizatidine
Ranitidine
Cimetidine
Milk of magnesia

When Should you Visit a Doctor?

Heartburn is one of the most common diseases. It doesn’t need to be checked by a doctor. However, in some cases, the condition might get worse, and the need for a doctor may occur. Here are some cases when you should immediately visit a doctor

When heartburn occurs more than two times a week
When you consistently face vomiting and nausea
When over-the-counter medicines don’t cause any effect
Sudden weight loss because you do not feel like eating

You should also visit a doctor if the pain is uncontrollable. And, the pain is not only in the chest but also in other parts of the body like the jaw and neck.

Some simple Lifestyles that can help to remove Heartburn

Many people face heartburn frequently. It is important to them to follow certain medications that might help to reduce their problems. Various foods can initiate the problem of heartburn. Even certain lifestyles also contribute to increasing heartburn. By simply avoiding these habits you can effectively reduce the chances of heartburn.

Avoid Sleeping on the Left Side

The anatomy of the left and right sides of our body is not the same. Thus, the selection of side while sleeping contribute a lot to the digestion of food. Reports have shown that sleeping on the left side helps a lot in the digestion of food.

Let us try to understand it with the help of anatomy. The esophagus is located on the right side of the body. When we sleep inclining to the left side, the sphincter lies above the stomach, not allowing the acids to enter the sphincter.

Whereas when we sleep on the right side. The sphincter lies lower the stomach increasing the risk of the flow of flux in the sphincter.

Keep your Body Up

Some people face heartburn during the night that might hamper the quality of sleep. Uplifting the head a little might effectively reduce the chances of acid reflux. Studies have shown that uplifting the head considerably reduces the flow of acid in the sphincter not allowing heartburn to occur. Take medications and home remedies you want, and then keep your head elevated while lying down. This will reduce your problem and improve the quality of sleep.

Eat Dinner Two to Three Hours Before Sleeping

When we are sleeping, we lie horizontally. At this time, our stomach and sphincter come line by line. This allows easy transfer of food materials. Gastric juices are higher in amount when they are line by line with the sphincter.

Surgeons advise eating dinner at least two to three hours before sleeping. In two to three hours, our food gets digested properly. It decreases the concentration of gastric juice in our stomach. It means even if we are lying horizontally, there will not be any gastric juice to travel back in the sphincter.

The best option is to take a short walk after the meal. This helps to digest the food properly. Also, it gives you a brief healthy exercise.

Try to Take Short Meals instead of large ones

Generally, we are habitual of taking three to four times meal in a day. Eating a large amount of food at a single time might cause difficulty. Instead, divide your meal into four to five parts and then eat the food. Reports have shown that eating frequent meal effectively reduce the risk of heartburn and acid reflux.

Acid reflux occurs when the stomach faces too much pressure. No doubt, eating too much at a single time causes pressure on the stomach. It increases the risk of heartburn.

Lose Weight

Weight has a lot to do with heartburn. People who are above the average weight are prone to acid reflux and heartburn. When you are over-weight, the excess fat present in your stomach pushes the sphincter to lose its strength, and thus sphincter frequently loosens its strength in fatty people. Moreover, excess weight is home to several health problems. This condition is known as hiatal hernia. It may cause a severe problem in the future if ignored.

Achieving a moderate weight might help you in various ways. It also decreases the risk of type-2 diabetes and acid reflux.

Eat a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is helpful in various ways. It helps to keep your body healthy and maintained. A balanced diet is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet should consist of healthy food items that fulfill the daily need of your body. It has low-calorie foods, highly nutritious food, and fiber. A balanced diet doesn’t cause any load on the esophagus. Reports have shown that a balanced diet helps to keep away from several diseases.

Apart from a balanced diet, you should also stay away from other food materials. For example, alcohol. Alcohol is extremely injurious to health. It is quite acidic that increases the risk of heartburn and acid reflux. Beverages also affect a lot. Heartburn gets worse with the consumption of caffeine. And beverages like coffee contains caffeine in a large amount. Thus, it is always advised to avoid drinking coffee when you are suffering from heartburn.

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise keeps your mental and physical health happy. At least 30 minutes of exercise every day keeps you refreshed and energetic. Thus, try to add exercise to your daily routine.

Conclusion

Heartburn is a common disease. However, it causes irritation, anxiety and affects your daily life. Certain food materials, home remedies, medications, exercises help to get relief from heartburn. It is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Though heartburn doesn’t increase with time medical history helps to know more about it.

Frequently asked questions

Is heartburn a chronic disease?

Heartburn is a common disease. Nearly, one crore cases have been reported in India in one year. It doesn’t require a visit to the doctor and can easily be cured with certain home remedies. Some food materials like mint leaves, tulsi leaves, aloe vera juice, bananas are some food items that help in reducing heartburn. Heartburn occurs due to acid. And bases are excellent methods to neutralize acids. Thus, bases effectively reduce the heartburn problem.

Though heartburn frequently occurs, it cannot be said that it is a chronic disease. People may face this problem frequently. But it can easily be cured with the help of home remedies and over-the-counter medications.

Can heartburn increase with time?

Many people suffering from heartburn have confusion in mind about how heartburn can affect their lives. It generally occurs with the person with whom it has already happened. It cannot be said that heartburn increases with time. But certain cases have shown that the person who increasingly suffers from heartburn continues to suffer increasingly for the rest of the life. Also, there is a high chance that the person who is facing an increase in heartburn with time will continue to face this problem.

If you are going through the same problem, you should see a doctor. Yes, you need not visit a doctor when you are suffering from heartburn. But the case is different if you are facing this again and again. And try to take precautions to avoid it in the future.

Does heartburn have any permanent solution?

Heartburn becomes a headache for those who are suffering from it frequently. It significantly disturbs the daily life of the person. You will not be able to concentrate on your daily work. Apart from this, if your heartburn is frequent at night, then you will not be able to get a good sleep. To summarise, it overall doesn’t allow you to have a peaceful life, and then a permanent solution becomes necessary.

To get a permanent solution, first, you need to go through a 24-hour pH with impedance study. This will help you to estimate the severity of your problem. Once you get the result of the severity of your problem. You can undergo either medication or surgery.

Doctors advise that a Laparoscopic Fundoplication surgery is the best solution to get a permanent solution from heartburn. However, few points you should evaluate before going for surgery.

Some of the points that you should keep on your mind before going for permanent surgery are

Is your problem increasing with time?
Are you facing serious anxiety and disturbance due to heartburn?
Have you tried all possible medications?
Do over-the-counter medicines not affect heartburn?

Considering these points will help you to make a wise decision.

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