Heartburn is one of those sensations that can spoil the aftermath of the tastiest meal you’ve had. We certainly enjoy eating food and the burning sensation in the chest we get with heartburn is a huge pleasure spoiler that can make you think twice before eating anything. Heartburn is usually cause by high acid content in the stomach and structural peculiarities of the gastrointestinal tract that let the half-digested food flow back into the esophagus and damage it. There are different medications that can help eliminate heartburn mainly by reducing the acidity of the stomach and preventing food reflux, such as nexium. However, not always prescription medications are effective as expect and in some cases they can cause side-effects as well. If you’re unfortunate to have problems with medication use for heartburn there’s good news for you – alternative heartburn solutions are available. The following things will help you overcome heartburn if used correctly:
1. Diet
Well, it’s obvious that the food you eat can provoke high acidity and stomach content reflux. So it’s logic to limit the intake of foods that are known to raise the acidity in the stomach. Such foods include tomatoes, citrus fruits, chocolate, coffee and caffeine-containing drinks, carbonated drinks, alcohol, salt, saturated fats, processed foods and most types of hot sauce. Try to limit the use of these products in your diet and concentrate more on high-fiber products. This will certainly provide some degree of relief depending on how bad your heartburn is.
2. Regimen
The way you eat your food is also very important and if you want to avoid having heartburn after meals there are certain things you should keep in mind about your food intake. First, make sure to avoid large portions. If you have a strong appetite it’s better to break up your regimen in smaller yet more frequent food intakes rather than getting your stomach full two-three times a day. When you stuff your stomach with a lot of food the risk of reflux is much higher and heartburn becomes imminent. The timing is also important as the risk of heartburn becomes if you eat before going to bed. Take your last meal in at least 3 hours before going to bed and if you’re used to taking your daytime nap make sure that your chest is above your stomach when lying down in order to avoid food reflux after a meal.
3. Hydration
Dehydration can also lead to heartburn so make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. It’s recommended to drink 6-9 glasses of water per day, distributing the intake evenly through the day. If you’re exercising on a regular basis you get dehydrated even faster that’s why heartburn can be experienced during workouts. Still, make sure that it’s clean water you’re taking, not tea coffee, milk and especially soft drinks that are known to provoke heartburn in the first place.
4. Garlic
Garlic may seem like a wrong choice when it comes to heartburn because it’s certainly hot. However, despite the bad breath it gives, garlic is known to reduce stomach acidity and also provides certain antiseptic and antibiotic effects, which help normalize the flora in the stomach. So if you don’t want to start taking nexium all at once consider incorporating garlic to your meals either as sauce or by flavoring the food with it.