Heartburn Remedy Tips

Just as there are many causes of heartburns, there are also many types of heartburn remedies. Each person can have his own remedy to heartburn.

The most common heartburn remedies are the antacids that are readily available in any drug store. The basic component in the antacids is the alkalis or bases that react with the acid to produce salt and water which is harmless and does not cause any irritation in the esophagus.

There are those who opt for heartburn remedies made from herbs. Different herbs are collected by specialists and they are boiled or crushed to produce a juice that is used as the remedy for the heartburns. Many people opt for herbal remedies because they say that they don’t have any side effects like the other drugs. However, the herbal medicines use the same principle as all other medicines.

Some people have very weird ways of stopping the heartburns. Some just need a glass of water while others sleep upright so that they do not get the heartburns. Others jump up and down and alas the heartburn disappears. In fact, some of the heartburn remedies are purely natural. For instance, overeating causes heartburns. So not eating too much is a simple way of avoiding the heartburns.

If you drink a lot then you should consider quitting alcohol consumption. This lowers the probability of constantly getting heartburns. If you like soft drinks kindly avoid drinks that are too acidic as they also cause heartburns.

Up next, you need to change your diet. Certain diets are known to cause severe heartburns so the best heartburn remedy for it is to adopt a healthy meal that is not too fatty as fatty foods can cause severe heartburns.

Avoiding too tight clothes will also reduce the frequency of heartburn occurrence. As I stated earlier, tight clothes exerts pressure on the abdomen which pushes the food mixed with the acid up into the esophagus which causes the irritation.

In the case of pregnant women we can’t say that the heartburn remedy is not to get pregnant. That is just impossible so the best thing to do is; always have antacids in the house, avoid spicy foods and acidic drinks. This will definitely reduce the chances of getting constant heartburns.

However, please note that today there are a lot of fake medicines in circulation especially in the third world countries labeled as so-called heartburn remedies. So always ensure that you buy your medication in government approved chemists so that you will not end up buying fake medication that can be fatal.

Before we define what heartburn remedies are lets first define what heartburn is. To a normal person heartburn may mean a heart that is burning, but an educated person will know that heartburns have no connection whatsoever with the heart. It is called heartburns because the burning effect occurs close to where the heart is located. Heartburns occur in the esophagus whereby you experience some pain or a burning effect. This pain may also rise to the throat. Heartburns are caused by excess acid in the stomach. This acid leaks into the esophagus causing the burning effect. At this point one is tempted to ask, why does the acid not affect the stomach?

The stomach has a protective lining that is covered with mucus that protects the stomach walls from any damage that can be caused by the acids. Heartburns usually occur after taking heavy meals. This is because heavy meals lead to much more production of acid which might leak into the esophagus causing the burning effect.

On the other hand, heartburn remedies are medications that help reduce the burning effect that occurs in the esophagus. There are no specific medications for heartburns. Some may take just a glass of water and the heartburn stops. Some may need to take antacids to stop the heartburn. So each individual knows how to deal with heartburns the best way they know. Heartburn remedies such as medicines are usually antacids in the form of tablets. If you attended your chemistry class then you should know that acids reacts with bases (in our case the antacids are the bases) to produce salt and water. In other words, antacids neutralize the acids and reduce them to salt and water. This is how the antacids reduce the heartburns. They neutralize them to form salt and water which does not have any burning effect on the esophagus.

Heartburn remedies take many forms; there are the tablets for adults, there is the syrup for children, and there are herbal products that stop the heartburns. But in the end all these products use the logic that acids are neutralized by antacids and therefore, all heartburn remedies contain antacids. All in all, heartburn remedies will depend on you and how your body reacts to different medication.