How to Manage and Prevent Heartburn With Natural Remedies

Heartburn is a common digestive affliction, often due to stomach acids leaking backwards into the esophagus and causing irritation and discomfort.

There are various natural remedies that can help manage and prevent heartburn, such as aloe vera juice and baking soda.

1. Drink Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe vera juice is an ideal natural treatment for heartburn, as it contains numerous essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can improve overall health.

Aloe vera juice may help alleviate acid reflux symptoms by decreasing stomach acid production in the esophagus – also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Furthermore, drinking aloe vera juice may also help you control blood sugar levels and decrease inflammation within the digestive tract.

However, you should be mindful that certain forms of aloe juice may irritate the gastrointestinal tract and may lead to diarrhea – particularly if you already suffer from digestive conditions or taking medication to treat them.

If you decide to drink aloe vera juice, be sure to obtain one that has been decolorized or purified as unpurified aloe juice can lead to side effects like constipation, stomach cramps and diarrhea.

If you suffer from liver, kidney, or cardiovascular conditions, aloe juice should also be avoided as it could irritate the lining of your stomach, potentially resulting in permanent organ damage.

People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid aloe vera juice because it increases the risk of miscarriage by decreasing blood clotting process and leading to excessive bleeding.

The most effective way to manage and prevent heartburn is to listen to what your body needs and try different remedies – even if that means drinking a bit more water!

Baking soda may also help relieve some of the pain and discomfort caused by heartburn, though this remedy should only be used if symptoms of severe heartburn exist. Unfortunately, baking soda can often leave people feeling queasy after use – be mindful when using this treatment!

2. Baking Soda

Baking soda is an natural antacid used to alleviate symptoms associated with acid reflux and indigestion. For centuries it has been employed in treating heartburn as well as being widely utilized as an ingredient for baking purposes.

If you experience occasional heartburn, try adding half a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water to help alleviate its discomfort. Make sure that you measure and drink this solution slowly; if this treatment doesn’t provide relief, consult with a physician immediately.

Sodium bicarbonate is an integral part of many over-the-counter and prescription antacids, and can also be dissolved into water to treat heartburn and other gastrointestinal ailments.

The American College of Gastroenterology estimates that more than 60 million Americans suffer from acid reflux. This condition occurs when the valve between your stomach and esophagus does not function correctly, allowing stomach acids to back up into your food pipe and cause acidity problems.

Obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking and pregnancy can also increase your risk. Symptoms of heartburn include chest burning, difficulty swallowing and tasting bitter in your mouth as well as coughing or hoarse voice.

Although over-the-counter and prescription medications exist to treat heartburn, many people prefer more natural solutions based on ancient practices that have proven their efficacy in relieving symptoms of heartburn.

One of the most popular natural treatments for indigestion is baking soda, available as tablets or effervescent powders. Baking soda provides a safe, inexpensive and straightforward way to manage indigestion without resorting to medication or surgery; it should however be noted that it contains substantial quantities of salt which should not be consumed if you are on a low sodium diet or have high blood pressure.

3. Elevate Your Bed

Heartburn or acid reflux occurs when stomach acids churn back up into the esophagus, resulting in burning sensations, throat discomfort or pain and an unpleasant taste in your mouth. Left untreated, this can lead to serious health complications including gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Natural remedies exist that may help manage and prevent heartburn, such as specific foods, herbal teas and sleeping positions.

An article published by the American Journal of Gastroenterology indicates that elevating your bed can significantly lower nighttime acid reflux symptoms. By restricting how much stomach acid escapes to your esophagus and helping the body return it back into your stomach, elevating helps limit how often acid comes back up through.

Sleeping on a wedge pillow may also help relieve heartburn at night by lifting your head and shoulders off of the ground and keeping the esophagus from tilting upward, which causes food to travel upward into your throat, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Wedge pillows can be purchased at medical supply stores for less than $100 and placed under your frame with blocks, or an adjustable bed with an additional foam wedge underneath your mattress to raise it up higher. Other ways of elevating your bed include placing blocks under its frame and using an adjustable bed with foam wedge under mattress for example.

Note, however, that wedge pillows cannot serve as a cure for GERD in cases of serious esophageal damage.

Other natural ways to help ensure a restful night’s rest include wearing loose clothing and eating fiber-rich foods before bed. Lifestyle modifications, such as decreasing alcohol intake and engaging in physical exercise regularly can also help ease symptoms associated with acid reflux.

4. Avoid Tight Clothes

Tight clothes with elastic waistbands or restrictive shapewear can exacerbate heartburn symptoms by placing pressure on your abdomen, encouraging stomach acid to come back up through your esophagus into your throat and cause that familiar burning sensation – commonly referred to as heartburn.

Some experts advise wearing loose-fitting trousers or joggers with an adjustable drawstring, as well as lycra or spandex tops with looser fitting chest areas.

Avoid tight-fitting sports bras that restrict natural breast movement and may lead to swelling and discomfort in your ribcage area.

Wearing tight clothing may cause poor blood flow, leading to lightheadedness, fainting, and tunnel vision symptoms.

The Cleveland Clinic reports that wearing tight clothing may impede with your lymphatic system, which consists of organs, tissues and vessels responsible for pumping lymph into your blood. This system plays an integral role in fighting infection, absorbing fat and maintaining fluid balance within your body.

Avoid wearing neckties that press against your neck as this can obstruct bloodflow to your brain and result in reflex syncope, an unusual medical condition which causes dizziness.

Tight clothing may cause issues with digestion, acid reflux, constipation and abdominal pain. You should steer clear of foods and drinks which might aggravate acid reflux such as fatty or fried foods, tomato sauce, alcohol, chocolate, garlic and onions as they could trigger acid reflux symptoms.

Diet and weight control can help to alleviate heartburn symptoms. Furthermore, smoking or other substances which stimulate acid production in your stomach should also be avoided in order to manage or avoid heartburn symptoms.

5. Sleep on Your Left Side

If you suffer from heartburn, getting a good night’s rest can be challenging. Sleeping improperly allows acid to seep into your esophagus and cause a burning sensation that makes restful rest all but impossible.

Experts have determined that the ideal sleeping position for acid reflux is left-side sleeping with your torso elevated. This ensures less frequently stomach acid escapes into your esophagus and allows gravity to return it more rapidly back into your stomach, alleviating heartburn symptoms more effectively.

However, if sleeping on your left side is impossible for whatever reason, other sleeping positions may help alleviate heartburn such as sleeping on an incline and lying back with your head elevated.

Missouri Medicine research from 2012 demonstrated that sleeping on an inclined surface could reduce reflux and enhance sleep quality for people living with GERD, possibly because your LES (lower epigastric sphincter) is elevated above your stomach contents when sleeping on an inclined bed.

Studies have also demonstrated that sleeping on your right side can place the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into an adducting position and make reflux more likely than when sleeping on any other position. This increases risk when sleeping on one’s right side.

Not only can this pose difficulty for those living with GERD, but lying flat on your right side is often considered an especially uncomfortable way of sleeping due to gravity and having to fight against your LES to push acid back down into your stomach – this process may take time and be taxing for both body and LES.

Relying solely on lying on your right side to sleep may make you feel as if you are choking – another common symptom of GERD. If it’s necessary for you to do so, use a pillow under your head so that it stays in its proper place to ensure proper neck support and avoid feeling choked by GERD symptoms.