Home Remedies For Heartburn

When your digestion isn’t as good as it should be and you feel that burning inside of you, what most people do is go to their kitchens and look for home remedies for heartburn. Everyone usually has a favourite heartburn remedy – passed down very often from great grandmothers. Of course, over-the-counter remedies are very popular today because people find it so much easier to pop a pill. However, with so many side effects that seem to arise from the indiscriminate use of conventional medication, there are a lot of people who feel it’s time to go back to the age-old home remedies for heartburn relief.

Heartburn Causes

First, let’s take a look at the causes of heartburn. What happens is that acids in the stomach get pushed back into the food pipe when the valve that holds it down doesn’t work too well. This acid causes a burning sensation in the food pipe and it could also be the cause of coughs because it irritates the throat. The discomfort it causes is very hard to bear and it can prevent you from sleeping too well at night.

Heavy meals can put a strain on the stomach and its ability to digest so this is one of the main causes of heartburn. Another reason is the fact that most people eat a heavy meal and then hit the sack – for people who suffer from this condition, there can be no worse trigger to set off an attack.

Home remedies for heartburn and acid reflux

A teaspoon of honey sipped slowly usually helps to suppress the burning. Another of the popular home remedies for heartburn indigestion is baking soda. A teaspoon in a glass of water soothes the burning almost at once. Other home remedies for heartburn are ginger juice, chamomile tea and apple cider vinegar. Another recommended remedy is bitters – you know the kind that you add to gin? Also effective – or so they say – is a teaspoon full of yellow mustard which you can swallow down with a glass of water.

There are a few more things you can do to alleviate the suffering of heartburn. Sleep with your head elevated with an extra pillow and maybe even raising the legs of your bed with wedges of wood or bricks. You should also reduce the amount you eat for each meal – try eating small portions and many more meals a day rather than a few heavy ones. Eat at least two hours before you go to bed. Chewing gum after a meal helps digest the food better and keeps the burning acids from coming up. Just say No to fizzy drinks, alcohol and cigarettes and you’ll see the difference. Yet another thing you could be careful about is not wearing something that is too tight at the waist.

A few more ‘don’ts’ – it could be the medication you are taking so don’t forget to mention your problem to your doctor – he may change the medication. Don’t get stressed out as tension often produces acidity in the system. Don’t try any new OTC remedies when you can take home remedies for heartburn. If they don’t work, then you can go look for stronger medication.