Home Remedies for Heartburn: Treat Retrosternal Burning Naturally

All individuals at some point in their life suffer from heartburn or acid indigestion. There are a host of dietary and environmental factors that can contribute to the development of the condition. The condition is often transient and associated with mild to moderate distress, however prolonged cases can get complicated into peptic ulcers or even gastric cancers. Home remedies and dietary tips can be beneficial in the management of the condition.

Heartburn affects almost
everyone

Heartburn Causes: Understanding Restrosternal burning

Though inappropriate diet contributes to the most frequent cause of heartburn, there are a host of other factors responsible for restrosternal burning,

• Consuming excessive amounts of carbonated drinks, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, fried foods, and refined foods and hydrogentated fats is the most common and significant cause of restro-sternal burning.
• Faulty dietary practices like Lying down immediately after a heavy meal, having too long gaps between two meals also cause heartburn.
• Smoking is responsible for heartburn. Alcohol consumption is also linked with Heartburns
• Pregnant females often suffer from heartburn due to the compression of the stomach by the growing fetus
• Certain medications including NSAIDs are responsible for heartburn. Most over the counter medications are also considered to be associated with the risk of heartburn and retrosternal burning

Repeated heartburn episodes can be indicative of gastro-esophagal reflux disease. It is extremely vital that you treat the condition immediately and prevent a progression of the disorder; an aggravation can result in gastritis, duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, and even cancer.

Home Remedy for Heartburn: Natural Remedies for Restrosternal Burning

Heart burn can be effectively managed by making lifestyle alterations and adhering to a wholesome and nutritious diet. Acid reflux tends to occur when acid from the stomach comes up in to the esophagus. This sets off heart burn. It is very essential that you alleviate the symptoms quickly, so that you can prevent complications such as, excessive acidity and gassy stomach, peptic ulceration, gastritis, etc. These home remedies help allay heart burn promptly:

Dried Figs are beneficial
to treat Heartburn

•  Cold milk helps relieve acidity and restro-sternal burning almost immediately.
• Yogurt is another excellent food remedy. Have a bowl of yogurt with lunch everyday.
• Cabbage juice is another effective remedy. Have 1 ounce of the juice daily.
• Start your day with dry fruits like Dates or Prunes or Dried figs. These leave an alkaline ash; and thereby, check acid reflux and acidity. These foods are alkaline foods and help manage most gastric complaints
• Ginger and jaggery after every meal is recommended by most experts. Grate a small piece of ginger and blend with some jaggery. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and an antacid.

Natural Treatment for Retrosternal Burning: Tips to prevent Heartburn
Heart burn is an outcome of GI malfunctioning. Unbalanced and lopsided diets, heavy and greasy meals, and staying hungry for extended periods of time causes dyspepsia. Make sure you follow these guidelines:

•  Do not eat your food hurriedly; always eat at a relaxed pace. 
• Never eat heavy and big meals. Eat small, frequent meals.
• Never lie down after meals at least for about 45 minutes. Dont have meals late at night.
• Quit smoking and consuming alcohol.
• Mint tea is an instant quick-fix for heart burn. Boil a handful of mint in a bowl of water. Have this decoction once daily for a fortnight; thereafter, have it at least thrice a week.

An Excellent Home Remedy for Heartburn: Vinger

Though antacids are recommended for management of heartburn, prolonged use of antacids is harmful to health.Vinegar, however, has proved to be definitely effectual in the quick management of retro-sternal burning. Consume two spoons of unfiltered apple cider vinegar before a meal; this prevents gastric acid from regurgitating into the esophagus. A convenient substitute is taking apple cider vinegar capsules.

Causes of Gastro- Esophageal Reflux Disease: Diet and Life Style Modification to treat Acid Reflux

GERD or Gastro-esophageal reflux disease is a serious disease caused due to regurgitation of stomach content into the esophagus. Though a relatively common gastro intestinal disorder, GERD can result in Barrett’s Esophagus, a complication which is potentially pre-cancerous. As per a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association, 0.4% of Barrett’s esophagus transform into cancerous lesions annually. Lifesytle modification and Diet can treat GERD

Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease: Causes and Symptoms

GERD is very common

GERD or acid reflux is primarily associated with regurgitation of the content of stomach into the esophagus. Some of the causes include,

• Weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter, which is suppose to prevent the stomach content from going back into the esophagus, is one of the prime reasons for Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease
• Impaired stomach functions including production of too much gastric acid or delay in the emptying of the stomach or increased pressure in the stomach are some of the reasons responsible for acid reflux. Type 1 diabetes is associated with delayed stomach empting and increases the risk of developing GERD
• Medications play a crucial role in development of acid reflux disease. Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, dopamine, sedatives, calcium channel blockers, anitcholinergics, etc are known to increase the risk of GERD
• Studies have shown that Asthma and Pregnancy are associated with acid reflux. Both these conditions then to increase the intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn is responsible for increased pressure in the stomach, a factor that can result in acid reflux
• Hiatus Hernia, or a defect in the diaphragm is responsible for some of the cases of reflux disease

The symptoms include heartburn, acidity, burning in the throat with sore taste in the mouth, indigestion, water brash, abdominal distress and flatulence.

 Diet to treat Acid reflux disease

Certain dietary recommendations have been found to be beneficial in the treatment of acid reflux disease

• Milk and yogurt are beneficial in alleviating the symptoms associated with acid reflux. Milk like other alkaline foods tends to neutralize the acidic juices of the stomach and thereby reduces the damage caused to the esophageal walls due to reflux. Ice-creams also have a cooling effect on the stomach.



Mint has therapeutic action

• Foods including ginger, mint, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and caraway seeds have therapeutic effect on the gastro-intestinal system, as they stimulate motility.
• Avoid fatty foods, aerated drinks, beverages, alcohol, etc from the diet. These foods result in gaseous distention of the stomach and also cause the esophageal sphincter to relax, thereby increasing the risk of acid reflux disease.

Life style modifications to treat Acid reflux disease

 Life style overhaul is vital in order to alleviate the symptoms associated with acid reflux. Regularizing the daily meal timing, exercising, avoiding tobacco and smoking, etc play a crucial role in treatment of acid reflux disease. 

• Take small quantity of food at frequent intervals. Avoid overeating. Overeating can result in overstretching of the esophageal sphincter and increase the chances of acid reflux
• Weight loss and weight management is crucial to treat Acid reflux disease, as increased intra-abdominal pressure is associated with GERD
• Never hurry through your meals. Chew your food adequately. Chewing food and eating leisurely avoids gaseous distention and also helps loose weight
• Eat evening meals at least two hours prior to going to bed. Never lie down immediately after a meal, this can promote acid reflux. Sit erect for at least forty five minutes after a meal.
• Keeping the head end of the bed elevated by about six to eight inches is also considered beneficial in alleviating the symptoms of GERD.