The Energy Drink Blog

Even though we call it heartburn, the true definition of this disease is actually an irritation to the esophagus due to the stomach producing too much acid.  Where the stomach meets the esophagus, there is a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter or for short the LES.  The job of this muscular valve is to open to let food into the stomach then close. When stomach acid is released into the stomach, often times this valve can become relaxed and open up and cause stomach acid to climb upward into the esophagus causing extreme pain, burning sensation and heart attack like symptoms.  Occasional heartburn is common in about 30% of the American population, however chronic heartburn should be treated because it usually means there is a serious underlying health condition.

There are several known causes for heartburn the most common ones include
overeating which causes the esophageal sphincter to relax and open allowing acid to climb upward.  Pressure on the stomach from pregnancy or obesity can cause this valve to relax.  Certain foods such chocolate, citrus fruits, onions, garlic, coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, and a diet high in fat as well as smoking, and a stressful lifestyle can all contribute to the unpleasant symptoms of heartburn.  So if any of this applies to you and you are wondering how you can treat and cure this issue naturally once and for all, here’s what you can do.

First I would recommend making obvious changes such as proper diet, which means eating organic whole foods whenever possible, cutting out smoking, and doing whatever you can to reduce the amount of stress in your life.  These are all simple solutions that can wipe out heartburn symptoms for good.  However others may not be so fortunate and they may need a more aggressive approach of treatment.  Here are a few things you can do naturally and safely before you decide to go to your doctor. 

Getting in the habit of eating small meals or portions more frequently versus sitting down to three large meals is a great way to provide proper digestion for anyone.  Your digestive system can easily become stressed when large quantities of food are consumed at a fast rate.  This allows the LES to become relaxed very easily because there is too much pressure put on the stomach and large amounts of acid are required to digest bigger meals.  By eating less food you are able to keep acid production down and relieve your symptoms quicker.  Another solution is, try not to eat at least two hours before bed or before exercise so you can fully give your digestive system a chance to do its job.  If your symptoms are usually at night when you sleep prop your pillow up behind you so the acid doesn’t travel up the esophagus and drink a glass of cold water to dilute the acid in your stomach.  Another great solution is to eat crystallized ginger which you can buy at your health food store or drink ginger tea.  Ginger is very well known for aiding in proper digestion, neutralizing stomach acids, relieving upset stomach.  Another remedy for treating heartburn or acid reflux is to squeeze a fresh lemon into a cup and add 2 tbsp. of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar with 2 tbsp. of raw unpasteurized honey and drink before bedtime for 5 consecutive nights in a row.

Lastly, the most important thing to suggest is that by maintaining a healthy weight or losing excess weight you can decrease your chances of many health related issues and increase your overall wellbeing.  If your symptoms persist or they become worse always check with your health care provider.

 

 

 

 

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Tags: Acid Reflux, burning sensation in digestive tract, Heartburn, indigestion, stomach acid

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 10:52 am and is filed under Health, Natural Cures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.