Heartburn is an uncomfortable feeling and when it strikes, you will want to know what you can use to treat it from the comfort of your own home. Discover more.
When heartburn strikes, it is uncomfortable and even painful for some. Despite what the name implies, heartburn has actually nothing to do with the heart, although the sensation may feel as though it does. The burning sensation that we all dread, in fact occurs when your stomach
acid backs up through your oesophagus. When suffering with heartburn, the first thing we want to do is to get rid of, or minimise the sensation, so what are some home remedies for heartburn that you can reach for in your time of need? Carry on reading to find out just that.
Whether you want to make sure you are ready in anticipation for your next spout of heartburn, or even acid reflux, then here are the top 5 remedies for heartburn that you won’t have to get a prescription for:
This may seem like an odd choice, and the last thing you would think of when suffering with heartburn, however, a ripe banana contains high potassium, which makes it a fairly alkaline food. This means that the content of the banana may help to minimise or reduce the stomach acid that has started to irritated your oesophagus.
However, eating an unripe banana is less likely to have the same affect, as they are less alkaline and more starch-heavy. This may trigger your acid reflux more.
When it comes to meal times, we know all too well that feeling of over indulgence, or eating far too quickly. This remedy for heartburn has a more patient approach. The portion size of a meal is vital to ensuring you do not over indulge on food. Having a large amount of heavy food creates pressure in your stomach, which in turn pushes the acid up through the oesophagus and creating heartburn.
This is the same with eating too fast. When we eat quickly, we swallow a lot of air, thus creating a bloat in the stomach. This then triggers heartburn.
Baking soda can be used to calm the sensation of heartburn by neutralizing the stomach acid. However, do not reach for this method every time you feel the symptoms of heartburn. Mix one teaspoon of baking sods in a glass of water and drink slowly.
This is another remedy for heartburn not only helps with the symptoms of heartburn, but also helps with your digestion. By drinking – only a small amount – of diluted cider vinegar, helps to calm the burning sensation in the stomach. However, do not drink too much cider vinegar as this can come with risks, such as damaging your teeth, hurting your throat or could even worsen your symptoms.
Ginger is an herb that has a long history in Chinese medicine. The ginger root can be used to treat nausea and heartburn.
Trying to incorporate the herb in more meals will help to minimise the risk of suffering from heartburn. Or to try and relieve your symptoms make a ginger tea by steeping raw ginger, or ginger tea bags in boiling water. And then sip appropriately.
Of course, these methods may not work for everyone, but its worth trying to minimise your symptoms if possible. If you feel as though your symptoms are worsening, or not getting any better, then contact your doctor or pharmacist.
That is our guide to a few home remedies for heartburn. Hopefully those will help with your symptoms. If you want to know more about digestion then check out our article on what causes indigestion, next.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/heartburn-relief#posture-and-more
