How To Get Rid Of Heartburns Fast In South Africa
What are Heartburn?
Heartburn is a burning pain in your chest, just behind your breastbone. The pain is often worse after eating, in the evening, or when lying down or bending over.
Occasional heartburn is common and no cause for alarm. Most people can manage the discomfort of heartburn on their own with lifestyle changes and nonprescription medications.
Heartburn that is more frequent or interferes with your daily routine may be a symptom of a more serious condition that requires medical care.
How To Get Rid Of Heartburns Fast In South Africa
Home remedies for heartburn and acid reflux
If you’re experiencing heartburn, you’ll be glad to hear that there are several options for at-home fixes.
But, like medications, home remedies and supplements can have risks. Some can interact with medications or cause other problems.
If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or chestfeeding, or have other health conditions, you may need to avoid certain remedies or supplements.
Herbal remedies and supplements are not testedTrusted Source for safety and effectiveness in the same way that medications are. So, it’s not always possible to know exactly what’s in the bottle you’re buying and what effects it could have.
It’s always best to talk with your doctor before trying these options.
Mix baking soda with water
You might have a heartburn remedy at hand in your kitchen without even knowing it. Baking soda can calm some episodes of heartburn by neutralizing your stomach acid. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it slowly.
To be safe, only use this baking soda remedy every once in a while, not frequently. Talk with your doctor about how to use baking soda safely. According to a 2013 case studyTrusted Source, this can help you avoid harming your health.
Take licorice supplements
Licorice root is an old herbal remedy that may help with heartburn. A 2020 reviewTrusted Source showed it could help increase the mucous coating of your esophageal lining. This may protect your esophagus from damage caused by stomach acid and allow it to heal.
Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is a supplement that contains licorice. DGL has been processed to remove much of its glycyrrhizin, a compound that can cause unwanted effects.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)Trusted Source warns that eating too much licorice or DGL may raise your blood pressure, lower your potassium levels, and interfere with certain medications. Always talk with your doctor before taking licorice or DGL supplements.
Sip apple cider vinegar in water
Apple cider vinegar is another home remedy that some people use to treat heartburn. Some believe that drinking apple cider vinegar could improve your digestive health.
No solid evidence supports this claim yet, according to the Department of Defense Dietary Supplement Resource. But consuming small amounts of diluted apple cider vinegar is typically considered safe.
Drinking large amounts or undiluted vinegar can come with risks. These include damaging your teeth, hurting your throat, or even triggering acid reflux.
If you decide to try this remedy, dilute 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in an 8-ounce (237-milliliter) water and drink it after your meal.
Chew gum
According to an older studyTrusted Source from 2005, chewing sugar-free gum for a 1/2 hour after meals may also help lower heartburn. But the results are based on just 31 people, so the evidence isn’t very strong. More research is needed to know for sure whether this method helps with heartburn.
Chewing gum stimulates saliva production and swallowing. This might help dilute and clear stomach acid from your esophagus.
In general, gum chewing may benefit some digestive conditions. But a small 2015 studyTrusted Source shows it can worsen others. Check with your doctor to see whether this method is worth trying for you.
Try ginger
Ginger has a long history of use in Chinese medicine, according to the NCCIHTrusted Source. This herb can help relieve nausea, so some believe it may be worth trying for heartburn, too.
Consider adding grated or diced ginger root to your favorite stir-fry recipes, soups, and other foods. To make ginger tea, steep raw ginger root, dried ginger root, or ginger tea bags in boiling water.
However, large doses of ginger may actually cause heartburn or other problems, so use it in small amounts.
It’s probably best to avoid ginger ale. Carbonated beverages are a common heartburn trigger, and most brands of ginger ale are made with ginger flavoring rather than the real thing.
More ways to help digestion
Loosen your clothing
Heartburn happens when the contents of your stomach rise up into your esophagus, where stomach acids can burn the tissue.
In some cases, you might be having an episode of heartburn because tight clothing is compressing your stomach.
If that’s the case, the first thing to do is loosen your belt — or your pants, dress, or whatever else is holding you tight.
Try not to slouch
Your posture can also contribute to heartburn. If you’re slouching, try sitting up straighter. If needed, you can use cushions or supports to help you maintain a more upright position.
An upright posture puts less pressure on your abdomen. Pressure on your abdomen after eating could cause stomach acid to rise into your esophagus, leading to heartburn.
A 2021 case studyTrusted Source suggests that long-term posture problems could contribute to GERD. In the study, correcting poor posture eliminated reflux symptoms. But more research is needed to understand the connection.
Changing your position is probably not a fix-all, but it may help in some cases.
Elevate your upper body
Lying down can make heartburn worse. When it comes time for bed, adjust your sleeping surface to raise your upper body.
Lifting your head with extra pillows may not be enough. To get relief, try elevating your body from the waist up.
You can change the angle of your sleeping surface by using a wedge pillow. Or, if you have an adjustable bed, you can set it at a suitable angle.
Avoid cigarette smoke
You probably already know that smoking is bad for your health. But did you know that smoking can contribute to heartburn? If you’re a smoker and you get an attack of heartburn, don’t light up.
Smoking might be a go-to coping strategy when you’re uncomfortable, but it’s not going to make that burning feeling go away. In fact, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) says it can actually cause acid reflux.
Medications to treat heartburn and acid reflux
When medication is needed, your doctor or pharmacist can help you choose one that’s right for you.
OTC heartburn medications
Plenty of OTC heartburn medications are available for use. These medications come in three types:
- antacids, which help to neutralize stomach acid right away
- H2 blockers, which lower the amount of stomach acid you make by blocking certain receptors in your stomach
- proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which lower the amount of stomach acid you make and may be more helpful for severe or long-term symptoms, according to the ACG
Some heartburn medications of these types are also available as prescription drugs.
How can you prevent heartburn?
To prevent heartburn or stop it from starting, there are several methods you can try.
- Avoid eating right before bedtime. A bedtime snack may be tempting. But the ACG suggests that if you leave yourself at least 2 to 3 hours to digest before lying down, you’ll lower your risk of heartburn.
- Limit alcohol consumption. If you drink, reducing the amount you drink or eliminating alcoholic drinks from your routine can lower your heartburn risk.
- Watch out for trigger foods. Did you know that you can help stop acid reflux and heartburn by changing your diet? Foods to avoid include:
- spicy foods
- tomatoes, including products like tomato sauce
- chocolate
- greasy foods
- coffee
- mint
- acidic foods, like oranges, lemons, and limes
- Quit smoking. If you smoke, quitting is a great way to reduce heartburn.
- Try relaxation exercises. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) recommends relaxation strategies for heartburn relief. Your doctor can also refer you to a licensed mental health professional.
- Manage your weight. If you are overweight or have obesity, losing weight can help with your heartburn, according to the AGA.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The most common cause is food that’s acidic or high in fat—like citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, chocolate, coffee, cheese, and peppermint. Spicy foods or large meals can also be the root of distress. Other sources of heartburn include aspirin or ibuprofen, as well as some sedatives and blood pressure medications.
How do Heartburns go away?
Antacids: These medications lessen the acid in your stomach to ease heartburn pain. They can also sometimes help with stomach pains, indigestion, and gas. Acid blockers and proton pump inhibitors: These drugs lessen the amount of acid your stomach makes. They can also calm symptoms of acid indigestion.
Foods That May Cause Heartburn
- Fried food.
- Fast food.
- Pizza.
- Potato chips and other processed snacks.
- Chili powder and pepper (white, black, cayenne)
- Fatty meats such as bacon and sausage.
- Cheese.
Does drinking water help heartburn?
A person with acid reflux, or heartburn, might feel a burning, often painful sensation in their throat and chest. Drinking water, low fat milk, and herbal teas may help reduce symptoms. Acid reflux, or heartburn, occurs when stomach acid flows up into a person’s esophagus, or food pipe.
How do u know if u have heartburn?
What does heartburn feel like?
- A burning feeling in your chest that can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
- Pain in your chest when you bend over or lay down.
- A burning feeling in your throat.
- A hot, sour, acidic or salty taste in the back of your throat.
- Difficulty swallowing.
Does milk help heartburn?
Can Drinking Milk Help My Heartburn? You may have heard that drinking a glass of milk can relieve heartburn. While it’s true that milk can temporarily buffer stomach acid, nutrients in milk, particularly fat, may stimulate the stomach to produce more acid.
Researchers found that “severe, sustained life stress” could “significantly” predict increased heartburn symptoms. There was also a connection to heartburn symptoms and exhaustion.
Why do you get heartburn at night?
When you’re laying down, you lose the effect of gravity on the food traveling through your digestive system. Laying down also prevents gravity from keeping bile and acids from traveling up into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Because of this, many people find their heartburn is worse at night.
Is Coke good for acid reflux?
“Carbonated beverages cause gastric distension,” Mausner says. And if your stomach is distended, this increases pressure on the esophageal sphincter, promoting reflux.” He tells WebMD that people with heartburn may be wise to steer clear of pop and other carbonated beverages.
Do bananas help heartburn?
Just like vegetables, a banana is a low-acid and high alkaline fruit that is also great for the digestive tract. If you battle with heartburn, bananas can help prevent stomach acid production while also helping things run smoothly through the digestive system.
Can heartburn damage your heart?
The confusion comes from the location of the pain, in the chest. The stomach produces mucus to protect its lining from the acid that it uses to help with digestion. The food pipe lacks this protection, so acid reflux can damage its lining. For many people, though, acid reflux does not cause such damage.