Taking Care of Heartburn

These days with people being so busy in their lives, following no dietary routine and irregular eating habits, heartburn has become a common ailment experienced by many people. There may be a number of reasons for heartburn but with proper care and balanced diet, it can be helped.

Heartburn occurs when the stomach acid comes back to the esophagus pipe, which carries food to the stomach and causes pain. The stomach acid helps in the digestion of food but due to the loosening of sphincter of esophagus, the stomach acid travels back and causes heartburn. It may be caused by a number or reasons. The esophagus does not contain the protective lining present in the stomach and thus pain is felt when it happens.

How Does Heartburn Take Place?

Various life styles and dietary factors are the reasons which allow the stomach acid to retreat into the esophagus sphincter causing heartburn. They are:

• The increased amount of acid produced in the body
• The increasing pressure on stomach that allows the acid to flow back
• Making esophagus sensitive to acid
• Eating greasy or non healthy foods that take time in digesting and cause heartburn
• Eating too many citrus fruits and eating foods full of acid such as garlic and raw onions, vinegar and spicy foods.
• Eating immediately before going to sleep
• Taking certain medications that have side effects which causes heartburn
• Being over weight and obese
• Smoking too much or eating too much tobacco
• Hectic lifestyle with no time for relaxation or rest

Taking Care of Heartburn

Taking care of heartburn is necessary. If proper care and treatment is not taken on time, it may complicate matters causing further complications.

Some of the ways for taking care of heartburn are:

• Healthy diet should be taken. Greasy and fatty foods such as deep fried and high cholesterol foods should be avoided
• Too much alcohol or colas should be avoided, instead green tea should be taken
• Foods should be eaten boiled or grilled, vegetables in raw or steamed form are good for heartburn
• Smoking should be limited or entirely avoided
• Food should be eaten some hours before going to bed. At night low fat and calorie food should be preferred
• The end of the bed, where you rest your head should be heightened a bit so as to ensure that the flow of acid does not reaches the esophagus
• Avoid too much spicy or fast foods
• Try to maintain a balanced weight as it also helps in preventing heartburn
• Wear loose clothing that does not put a pressure on your stomach

Taking care of heartburn is not easy as one has to watch their lifestyle as well as the diet that they ingest. However, it can be done with a little care and concentration on what you eat and drink.