Ten Tips for Getting Heartburn Relief

January 10, 2022 by Amy H 0 comments

Reading Time: 4 mins

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Did you know that more than 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month? Getting heartburn once a month might not sound too bad, but over 15 million Americans experience heartburn every day.

In addition to causing discomfort, frequent heartburn can be damaging to your esophagus and put you at a higher risk for certain types of cancer.

If you’re one of the 11.9 percent of people who experience heartburn globally, and you want to learn what to do to manage it and get heartburn relief, keep reading.

1. Chew Sugar-Free Gum

This solution for your heartburn is not only effective but tasty. When you chew gum, it produces extra saliva.

This extra saliva can help dilute acid. After a meal, grab your favorite flavor of gum and start chewing for around 30 minutes.

Your body will produce extra saliva, and that could help prevent acid production.

2. Avoid Spicy Foods

Did you know that many spicy foods have what’s called capsaicin? Capsaicin slows down your digestion.

This causes your food to sit in your stomach longer. When your food is in your stomach for longer amounts of time, you are at a bigger risk of heartburn.

In addition, because spicy food has the ability to irritate your esophagus, it can make heartburn symptoms worse.

If you frequently struggle with heartburn, try avoiding spicy foods to lessen your risk.

3. Stop Smoking

Are you a smoker? It might be time to quit.

Smoking can exacerbate the symptoms of heartburn due to the fact that it is irritating to your esophagus. However, it can also make you more likely to get heartburn in the first place.

Nicotine from tobacco causes the valve between your esophagus and stomach to relax. When that valve, also known as the lower esophageal sphincter, is relaxed, the chemicals that break down your food can back up into your esophagus.

This reflux causes heartburn.

4. Eat a Banana

Yet another tasty way you can treat your heartburn symptoms is by eating a banana. Bananas are low-acid fruits that can help to neutralize the acid in your stomach.

They do this by coating irritated esophageal linings. You’re also less likely to overeat when you eat bananas because they help you to feel full for longer since they’re rich in pectin.

Because your stomach produces acid to break down your food, overeating can cause those chemicals to back up into your esophagus.

5. Elevate Your Upper Body

When you lay down, your stomach and your throat are at the same level. This makes it easy for your stomach acid to flow up your esophagus and cause heartburn.

One great way to address that is by elevating your upper body. You can do this by using pillows or a wedge to elevate your upper body.

Just elevating your head won’t be enough. Elevate your body from the waist up.

6. Use Baking Soda

Baking soda is good for more than just neutralizing odors and cleaning. It can also help to neutralize the acid in your stomach and relieve pain from heartburn.

Baking soda has an alkaline pH. This allows it to neutralize the acid in your stomach.

If you want to try this, mix a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water. Drink it slowly and let it work.

If you do decide to try using baking soda, keep in mind that it does have sodium. If you’re on a low sodium diet, you should first consult your doctor.

7. Eat Ginger

Ginger is excellent for a variety of digestive issues, and it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to heartburn either. If you don’t like the taste of ginger, you can also try ginger pills or oils.

However, you need to be cautious with ginger. While in small doses, it does have the potential to help relieve heartburn, if taken in large amounts, it can make heartburn worse.

Ginger helps because it can reduce the possibility of your stomach acid going up into your esophagus. It can also decrease inflammation which can help with acid reflux symptoms.

8. Drink Aloe Juice

When you have heartburn, your esophagus gets irritated by the chemicals from your stomach. Aloe juice can help soothe that irritation.

Research also shows that aloe juice can help reduce acid production. You can pick this juice up at most grocery stores. Drink some before you eat, and it will help to keep not only your esophagus but your stomach soothed.

9. Try Apple Cider Vinegar

Did you know that for some people, acid reflux can occur because they have too little stomach acid? If this is the case for you, introducing more acid into your digestive tract could help.

Apple cider vinegar can help introduce that acid and relieve your symptoms. Just mix three teaspoons in with some water and drink it before bed or before meals.

Even if it doesn’t help with your heartburn, it can act as an antimicrobial agent and protect you from certain types of bacteria.

10. Consider Medication

Natural remedies are great, but they don’t always work for everyone. While one person might swear by apple cider vinegar or bananas, it might do nothing for another person.

Using a heartburn medicine like omeprazole can help when other methods don’t work. Talk to your doctor about what medication is right for you and get the relief you need.

Get Heartburn Relief Today

Don’t let heartburn keep you from living your life. Get relief by trying some of the tips we discussed today.

Have you decided that medication is the right answer for you? Kiwi Drug offers competitive prices on products that will help you.

Shop for your heartburn relief medication with us today.