What Is Heartburn? – Causes And Treatment

Heartburn is a very common and uncomfortable feeling that results when stomach acid backs up into the oesophagus. Heartburn is typically a symptom of a number of conditions including Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and acid reflux. If you tend to suffer from heartburn and interested to find out what causes it and natural remedies to help you, read further.

What Are They Symptoms of Heartburn?

The most frequent symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux is a feeling of heat, warmth or burning sensations in the chest and throat areas. These symptoms are due to the stomach acid flowing back up into the oesophagus. Other heartburn symptoms include an indigestion-like pain and a foul taste in the mouth.

What Causes Heartburn?

Specific triggers for heartburn vary from person to person. While you may be triggered by an acidic beverage, the next person may be able to gulp an entire glass with no effects. Below are some of the common causes of heartburn to look out for.

Fatty food

A large greasy burger with a side of fries before bedtime can trigger a heartburn. Consuming large portions of fatty food stretch the stomach, causing you to feel stuffed. When your stomach stretches this way, it’s referred to as distention. Distention puts immense pressure on the LES, which is a ring of muscle that prevents stomach acids from moving in the wrong direction. Consuming large fatty meals causes the juices from your meals to return and cause heartburn.

Highly Acidic Food

Tomatoes or sauces such as salsa and marinara, and citrus fruits such as lemon and oranges can trigger heartburn, especially if you consume them alone on an empty stomach.

Drinks

Certain beverages that you like to sip on when playing Canadian online slots can increase the chances of heartburn, drinks with caffeine boost acid in the stomach. Fizzy drinks contain a lot of acid, and this carbonation can bloat your stomach which may lead to heartburn. Alcohol too can relax the valve between your stomach and oesophagus, enabling acid to escape easily.

Spicy Food

Spicy foods are known to trigger heartburn. This is because many spicy foods contain capsaicin, which slows down digestion, leading to food sitting in the stomach for longer. The longer food remains in the stomach, the more risk you have of developing a heartburn.

Natural Remedies to Treat Heartburn

There are many natural remedies that have been used to treat heartburn throughout centuries. Harvard health says fennel, marshmallow root, catnip and papaya tea are all said to aid in digestion and stopping heartburn. Some eat fresh papaya as a digestive aid, while others rely on raw potato juice three times a day. A cup of chamomile tea may have a soothing effect on the digestive tract and drinking milk can temporarily buffer stomach acid since the fat in milk contributes to stimulating the stomach to produce more acid.

Lifestyle Choices to Limit Heartburn

Adopting some of these lifestyle choices can assist to prevent or reduce heartburn:

  • A healthy diet with limited fat.
  • Trying to eat 2-3 hours before sleeping.
  • Avoiding excessive heartburn triggers such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy food and acidic food.