Tips for Heartburn Relief

Very often after having a meal in excessive quantity, you may feel uncomfortable experiencing a burning sensation in your upper abdomen. With time, the burning feeling increases towards your throat. This painful burning sensation is known as heartburn. It is caused by reflux of stomach acid into esophagus. This occurs due to overeating, lying down immediately after your meal, excessive smoking, etc.

Heartburn is also caused by a strong reaction of stomach acids to certain foods during digestion. It's a common disorder in the United States. Research has revealed that around 60 million Americans suffer from acid indigestion, at least once in a month. Among them, more than ten million adults suffer from it on a regular basis. Some of the main causes of this disorder are indigestion and acidity. It can also cause disturbed sleep and fatigue.

This is not a serious disorder but an aching, burning feeling in chest caused by gastroesophageal reflux. Chronic chest burn may lead to ulcer, hernia or other diseases. Such a pain may wake you up from a sound sleep; so it is best to take some safety measures or precautions. These tips offer solutions to get over the same.

Avoid Junk Foods and Aerated Drinks: Nutritious diet is necessary for a person suffering from this condition. You should also refrain from consuming spicy foods, junk foods, and aerated drinks. These can create excessive amount of acids in your stomach and can lead to acid reflux. So, consume foods such as green vegetables that are high in fiber and protein, and fruits that are low in acid content.

Avoid Excessive Smoking: Excessive smoking can lead you to suffer from heartburn which is characterized by chest pain. One way of getting relief is to avoid smoking.

Change Your Lifestyle: Altering your lifestyle can be one of the possible solutions. If you have a habit of sleeping immediately after a meal, then it's time to change your habit.

• Take rest for sometime after consuming dinner or lunch.
• Do not overeat. Eat food frequently but in small portions.
• It is best to sleep on your left side as this will help in the digestion process.
• Consume food slowly, chew, and swallow it well.

• Formulate the habit of regular exercising. However, refrain from weightlifting to avoid putting pressure on your abdomen.
• Wear loose clothes so that you do not put pressure on your abdomen.
• It is beneficial to drink ample amount of water if you suffer from indigestion and acidity problems.
• Keep your head in an elevated position, while sleeping.

Use Antacids: Proper medication, such as use of antacids, can cure your heartburn problem. This helps digest your meal and balances the stomach acids. However, excessive dependence on antacids may cause constipation, diarrhea, etc. So, medication should be taken under the proper guidance of a physician.

Try To Lose Weight: Losing weight by following a strict workout routine is one of the best solutions. Excessive weight or obesity can also lead to heartburn.

Manage Stress and Anxiety: Stress and anxiety are two prime causes of acid indigestion. Excessive acid in your abdomen due to stress and anxiety factors is also a major contributing factor. You can opt for meditation and yoga to overcome anxiety and stress symptoms like fear, worry, and depression.

To sum up, there are some other tips for relieving yourself from burning sensation in the chest, such as listening to music, hanging out with friends, going out for a long drive, writing or painting, etc. These will help you in controlling your anger, worry, and stress which create excessive acid in the abdomen.