Have you ever felt a burning in your chest? No, not the kind that comes from love but more specifically the kind that comes with acid reflux?
If you have, you might be one of the 60 million Americans who suffer from heartburn at least once a month. Or you could be one of the 15 million Americans who suffer from it every single, agonizing day.
What exactly is heartburn?
Heartburn is a sensation of burning in your chest caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. A muscular valve named the LES (lower esophageal sphincter), normally with the help of gravity, keeps stomach acid inside the stomach. When working properly, the LES opens to let food into your stomach or for belching. But when the LES opens too often or doesn’t close tightly enough, you will experience that burning sensation. The burning typically is in the central portion of the chest, behind the breast bone.
Heartburn can be caused by overeating, obesity, pregnancy, or constipation.
Can certain foods cause heartburn?
There are many foods that can cause heartburn: Tomatoes, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, black pepper, spicy foods, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and peppermint. Also, meals high in fats and oils can all contribute to heartburn.
How do I treat heartburn?
There are many ways you can treat heartburn:
Food
Avoid triggers that cause heartburn in the first place. Naturally low acid foods such as whole grains, bananas, melons, green veggies, lean poultry and meat, potatoes, fish, and egg whites all help to fight heartburn.
Weight loss
Excess weight causes increased pressure on the stomach increasing the chance of acid reflux into the stomach.
Nighttime Relief
Elevate the head of the bed if you are experiencing heartburn at night. This will keep your head elevated and will help decrease reflux.
OTC Treatment and Medications
Have you taken so many antacids that the company wants you to be a paid ambassador?
Antacids such as Tums or Rolaids can be purchased Over the Counter (OTC) and will help neutralize stomach acid.
Certain medications can reduce or block the production of acid in your stomach. Speak with your doctor about different prescription medication options.
Remedy offers wedge pillows that help reduce heartburn by elevating your head and upper body.
Fix your foods, fix your heartburn
Remedy offers nutrition coaching by an expert, Registered Dietitian. Instead of trying to figure it out on your own, spinning your wheels and getting frustrated with your diet, let us help. Our Registered Dietitian can walk you through food alternatives, meal planning and other solutions to help you reduce heartburn.
Contact Kyla by completing our contact form here. You can also schedule your initial no-cost consultation with our Registered Dietitian.
Find non-traditional heartburn relief at Remedy Health & Wellness Store
At Remedy, we are proud to offer pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Certain blends of essential oils can actually help with heartburn and indigestion. Digize is one these oils. Digize contains an unique blend of tarragon, ginger, peppermint, juniper, lemongrass, anise, patchouli, and fennel oil. There are many ways to reap the benefits of this blend. You can either diffuse the oil or inhale it from the bottle, apply 2-4 drops directly or dilute 50/50 with another carrier oil to your abdomen or the bottoms of your feet.
Golden Lift Chairs recline to a comfortable sleeping position, so that you can ease the heartburn.
If heartburn is affecting your sleep, you might want to consider trying one of our wedge pillows or lift chairs. Changing the positioning of your head will help decrease acid reflux.
Conclusion
We hope you learned about heartburn and how you can treat it. If you have any questions about any of these options, feel free to contact us with your heartburn questions.
