If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from painful heartburn, you know how important it is to find a way to relieve heartburn pain. If you are a frequent sufferer, heartburn relief becomes even more crucial, since chronic heartburn can affect your quality of life.

While the actual causes of heartburn are unknown, there are a number of diet and lifestyle elements that can exacerbate your symptoms. Sometimes a simple avoidance of these key elements is all that is required to give you a reprieve from the pain. Other times it may be necessary to move to medications, such as over the counter antacids for help in heartburn relief.

Why Does Heartburn Occur?

Heartburn is the result of stomach acids backing up into the esophagus. Since the esophagus is not lined to protect itself from the acids like the stomach, pain and inflammation can result from the esophagus being exposed to the stomach acid. The pain that is felt is usually located around the breastbone, which is why it is called heartburn even though the heart is not involved in any way.

This pain can become quite intense and radiate into the back, which is why it is sometimes mistaken for a heart attack. One of the compelling reasons for seeking heartburn relief is so that it does not mask the symptoms of a true heart attack. If you are ever in doubt as to the source of the pain you are experiencing, call your doctor or head to the hospital to be sure.

Heartburn Relief can come from Lifestyle Choices

One of the first things you can do for heartburn relief is to stop smoking if you are a smoker. You can also maintain a healthy weight, since obesity can contribute to pressure and resulting heartburn problems. Other things you can try for heartburn relief are to wear loose fitting clothing, especially around your middle, avoid eating right before bed, and refraining from particular foods that seem to make your problem worse.

If basic lifestyle changes aren’t enough to bring the heartburn relief that you are hoping for, over the counter antacids are usually safe and effective to use on a regular basis. If heartburn relief is still slow to come, your doctor can prescribe medication that will relieve your toughest heartburn symptoms. Heartburn is rarely a serious problem, but it can be difficult to deal with if you are experiencing pain and discomfort on a frequent basis. Fortunately there are many avenues you can explore to find satisfactory heartburn relief.

Living with that burning sensation in your chest or the taste of acid in your throat doesn’t have to last as there are numerous heartburn treatment options available. While all treatments won’t work for all people, if an over-the-counter heartburn treatment doesn’t help, a physician can prescribe one that will.

Heartburn occurs when stomach acids, hydrochloric acid and pepsin, seep into the esophagus from the stomach. The sensitive lining of the esophagus is not intended to be exposed to these acids and resultant burning sensation is notice that a heartburn treatment is needed.

Several heartburn treatment methods exist for light, occasional bouts of heartburn, which usually occur shortly after eating or drinking and these antacids go to work immediately to dilute the acid in the stomach offering immediate relief. They are sold under a variety of brand names as well as generic equivalents and are meant for short-term use only.

Stronger Drugs for More Severe Bouts

Other heartburn treatment methods attack the acid production itself with some H2 lockers which instruct your stomach how much acid to produce. By reducing the amount of acid in your stomach, it reduces the chances of it being transferred into your esophagus. These products, unfortunately, can take up to an hour or more to begin to work. By taking them about an hour before eating, especially is you’re planning to consume a spicy meal, it can usually prevent heartburn from occurring.

Proton pump inhibitors are for use with more severe and frequent attacks of heartburn and are usually directed to be taken once a day for not more than two weeks unless prescribed by a physician. This form of heartburn treatment actually stops the production of stomach acid, except for a small amount needed for proper digesting of food.

One of the downsides of proton pump inhibitors as a heartburn treatment is they may reduce the level of acid to a point where not digestion is hindered, but acid also kills germs and bacteria ingested and removing all acid may allows the bacteria to get into the rest of your digestive track.

With all methods of heartburn treatment, especially if you take other prescription medication, you should consult with your pharmacist or physician for potential dangerous drug interactions. Many of the medications used as a heartburn treatment may negatively affect the effectiveness of other medications or the heartburn treatment will not work at all.

One of the most common pieces of advice as a home remedy for heartburn is to drink milk. However, it just may have the opposite effect! It’s been shown that calcium in dairy products actually triggers the production of stomach acid. It may offer some temporary relief as it soothes the burning esophagus, but more acid will eventually be produced.

Heartburn is caused by acid in the stomach being forced through the lower esophageal sphincter. Generally, occasional bouts of heartburn are caused by eating too much too fast. As the stomach gets full of food the acid it contains has to go somewhere and the lower esophageal sphincter is the least resistive. With this in mind, think of ways you can find a home remedy for heartburn.

Look at the stomach like a tube of cream. If squeezed in the middle, the cream comes out the top. The same holds true with your stomach. Filling your stomach with food and then sitting down has the same effect as squeezing it in the middle. Probably the best home remedy for heartburn is the advice to not stuff your stomach.

Herbs Known to Work

While it may sound contradictory, as a home remedy for heartburn for apple cider vinegar works against heartburn. Using a tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water and sipped during a meal has been known to reduce heartburn. Ginger root, commonly used for calming the nerves, also has a positive effect on heartburn. Although researchers aren’t exactly sure how, they believe it absorbs the stomach acids.

Bitters has also been successfully used as a home remedy for heartburn, typically in capsule form. Researchers suggest one or two capsules after eating, although more may be necessary. One observation noted is that if you can taste ginger you have probably taken too much.

Aromatics such as catnip and fennel have been suggested as being good for heartburn, but research on this has been off and on and there are no studies to support their use. Plantain and Irish Moss are others often reported to help heartburn, but researchers are shunning them as a home remedy for heartburn as they claim they just don’t work.

Finding the cause and eliminating it may be the best home remedy for heartburn. Dietary adjustments may be necessary as well as the time of day during which you eat.

Simple heartburn is common and simple enough to treat, and most stores carry something to help. If you prefer a natural cure for heartburn over something wrapped in aluminum foil, there is hope for you.

How Heartburn Happens

When you eat, food travels down your esophagus through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the stomach where it is bathed in gastric acid. The muscles of the LES open the sphincter to admit the food and close to keep the acid where it belongs. If the muscles of the sphincter relax too much, you can experience acid reflux. When acid comes in contact with the esophagus, the result is a burning sensation. For minor pain, the problem may be corrected by increasing your saliva with chewing gum. A glass of water may be enough to quiet the burning.

Often, it’s enough to assist the digestion or counteract the acid. Many a natural cure for heartburn exists to accomplish that. First, attempt to avoid heartburn. Eat slowly while sitting upright. Avoid a too full stomach and watch out for spicy or fatty foods. Avoid caffeine and alcohol and don’t eat too close to bedtime. Lying down while your stomach is full eliminates the benefits of gravity as a digestive aid. Aspirin and some other medications can irritate the stomach. Remember that everyone’s stomach is a little different. What works for someone may not work for someone else.

Ginger, Water and Herbal Tea

One natural cure for heartburn is ginger. You can add it to food, drink it in tea or take it as a capsule. Digestion can be aided by enzymes like those found in papaya. Chewable capsules taken with water after a meal have been successful for many sufferers. Fiber absorbs excess acid. If your problem is caused by excess acid, fiber can be added to you diet through foods, fiber pills or beverages.

The most natural cure for heartburn is plain water. Water dilutes the stomach acid, washes away small amounts of acid in the esophagus and helps the digestion. Baking soda is also a natural antacid. A few tablespoons of vinegar in a glass of water adds acid which can strengthen the muscle reaction of the LES. Many sufferers swear by green tea after a meal. Green tea aids digestion and soothes the stomach. Herbal teas with peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root or catnip can strengthen the stomach. A cup of such herbal tea after dinner is the natural cure for heartburn that many swear by.

If the first natural cure for heartburn that you try disappoints you, don’t give up. Some aids attack heartburn in one way while others help in another. With patience, you can find the natural cure for heartburn that works for you.

Heartburn, which affects millions of people all over the world, is usually treated by ingesting some alkaline compounds which neutralizes the acid formed in excess in the stomach, as well as that which escapes into the esophagus. These compounds are usually flavored with peppermint, to give respite from the vile taste that comes to the mouth during heartburn.

What are the Usual Remedies for Heartburn?

Most people take antacids for heartburn, without the prescription of the doctor. This is not always safe and proper, because it interferes with the acid Ph of the stomach, which may create more pain than help in the long run. Hence, it is better if you use only prescribed medicines instead of self-medication. Even then, you will find that medicines used for prevention and treatment of heartburn will have a number of side-effects such nausea, constipation, and sometime even diarrhea.

Natural remedies for heartburn, on the other hand provide fast relief with minimum or no side-effects in most cases. Of course, the natural remedy for heartburn is normally not guaranteed because it is not endorsed or accepted by the FDA, and hence, there is no foolproof method to ensure that all the ingredients mentioned are safe.

However, there are many people who would vouch for the effectiveness of the natural remedy for heartburn. If you know any of these people, you might take their reference and buy those natural remedies for heartburn which have already been proven effective. In this way, you will not have any surprises when using a new product.

Among the most common natural remedies for heartburn are fennel seeds, rhubarb, and peppermint. Usually these ingredients would be listed in the product that you will buy as the natural remedy for heartburn. Otherwise also, these can be used in the form of tea (fennel seeds), and oils and so on.

In case you prefer to use a natural remedy for heartburn in other forms, ensure that these are genuine and they are within the expiry date. Most of the people do not check out the expiry date of the products they buy and then they are surprised or shocked when they do not get the expected results – or worse get bad reactions instead of cures. Hence, always check for the expiry date before you buy any product, natural or otherwise – it can save you time and money.