Causes of Heartburn
Studies show that there are various causes of heartburn. It occurs when gastric acid enters the food pipe. It is a digestive disorder, which produces a burning sensation in the chest. In severe cases, patients suffer from irritation in the neck and throat.
Large meals, especially fatty or oily foods that digest slowly, cause heartburn. Hence, obese people are more prone to heartburn. Pregnant women need to take extra care, as they can easily get frequent heartburns. Many people wear extremely tight belts, tight waistbands and slim undergarments. Such clothing let the gastric acid into the food pipe, which is one well-known cause of heartburn.
Sleeping on a full stomach at bedtime after having dinner is also one amongst prominent causes of heartburn. Bending down often pushes gastric acids into the food pipe causing heartburn.
Major heartburn causing factors include excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, stress, anxiety or insomnia, excessive smoking and alcohol consumption.
Beneficial Home Remedies:
1. One teaspoon of baking soda in one glass of water provides immediate relief from heartburn.
2. Have a tablespoon of dark brown sugar every day.
3. One tablespoon of yellow mustard gives instant relief from heartburn.
4. H. pylori bacteria are the major causes of heartburn. One or two cloves of garlic destroy these bacteria.
5. Have a teaspoon of vinegar. Absence of enough acid in the stomach to digest the food is one among the chief reasons.
6. The native adage, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, holds true to cure heartburn. Eat a red apple after dinner to get rid of heartburn.
7. A tablespoon of cider vinegar provides relief from heartburn in 30 seconds.
8. Fresh ginger or ginger tea is an effective remedy to cure heartburn.
9. Presence of fiber in diet absorbs excess acid and gas. Intake of fiber flushes out toxins from the body.
10. Herbal tea that contains ginger and peppermint can treat heartburn. Drink it after dinner.
11. A glass of cooled milk provides a quick remedy from heartburn.
12. Ginger root with honey is a quick remedy from heartburn. Have it after the meals.
13. Chew basil leaves to cure acid problems.
14. Cottage cheese is an alkaline milk product. Since it is a solid, it absorbs acid better than any liquid.
Avoid The Following:
Foods that cause heartburn include tomatoes, citrus fruits, onions, chocolate, peppermint, tea, coffee and caffeine containing drinks. These foods weaken the valve muscles.
Other reasons for heartburn are frequent smoking and tobacco chewing. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to heartburn.
Fatty and oily foods, especially deep-fried snacks and excessively spicy foods lead to production of excess acid that leads to heartburn.
Stress leads to production of excess gastric acid. Many types of medications including strong antibiotics, painkillers like aspirin, antidepressants and blood pressure medicines cause heartburn.
One amongst the major causes of heartburn is the non-consumption of food, as your stomach will produce more gastric acid than required. The pain worsens if the person bends over or lies down.