Heartburn is one of the most common symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Typically the painful burning is caused when stomach acid surges up into your esophagus. In most cases, heartburn isn’t serious and can be effectively managed, and even prevented, naturally.
Harvard Medical School recently compiled 11 such tips that you should keep handy if heartburn is a problem for you:
- Eat smaller meals more often: If your stomach is too full, it will put pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which keeps acid from backing up into your esophagus.
- Eat slowly: Eating too fast will fill up your stomach and also put pressure on your LES.
- Stay upright after eating: Lying down will add pressure to your LES, which increases your risk of acid reflux.
- Avoid eating late at night: You’ll want to leave at least three hours between your last meal of the day and bedtime, to give your stomach time to clear out.
- Avoid exercising right after eating: Wait at least two hours to give your stomach time to empty.
- Use a bed wedge: Keeping your torso slightly elevated at night can help ease nighttime heartburn.
- Avoid carbonated beverages: They can make you belch, which makes acid reflux worse.
- Avoid heartburn-triggering foods: This might include fatty foods, spicy foods, tomatoes, garlic, milk, coffee, tea, cola, peppermint and chocolate.
- Try sugarless gum after a meal: This promotes salivation, which neutralizes acid, while soothing the esophagus and helping to wash acid back down to your stomach (avoid peppermint flavors).
- Check your medications: Certain drugs can cause acid reflux or lead to inflammation of your esophagus. Ask your doctor if medications you’re taking could be to blame.
- Lose weight: Excess weight increases pressure on your stomach and LES, which can make heartburn worse.
If you’re interested in alternative medicine, you might also like to know that according to Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, heartburn may be a sign of Pitta (fire and sun) dominance. Bringing this back into balance with your other doshas, or energy types based on basic elements, may help to relieve your heartburn symptoms.
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