Heartburn is a very unpleasant experience. It causes a burning sensation along with pain in your chest and stomach. The cause of the burning sensation is due to the acidic stomach juices that rise into the esophagus, when the valve between stomach and esophagus doesn’t shut properly. Heartburn is typically followed after eating fried, fatty, or acidic foods.
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Symptoms of heartburn
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These are some of the most common symptoms of heartburn:
- Burning sensation and pain in chest and stomach
- Nausea
- Gas
- Bloating
- Sour taste in the mouth and throat
- Difficulty breathing
Home remedies for heartburn
Although there are several over-the-counter medications that help relieve heartburn, these natural home remedies for heartburn will get rid of the problem without any side effects. Let’s take a look:
1. Almonds
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Almonds are an effective natural remedy to treat heartburn. It contains several vital nutrients, which help soothe your heartburn.
Remedy
- Snack on 3-4 almonds after a meal to find relief from heartburn. Chew them till the nuts are reduced to a flour-like substance in your mouth. This is when the oil will be released from the nuts, which helps soothe the production of acid in your stomach.
Pro tip: Choose raw, salted, or roasted almonds to chew on – your choice.
2. Aloe vera
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Aloe vera is known for its soothing properties, and it’s quite effective in relieving heartburn too. Not only does aloe vera juice help control heartburn by reducing the inflammation, it also helps heal the gastrointestinal tract.
Remedies
- Drink about a quarter cup of store-bought aloe vera juice about 20 minutes before a meal.
- Slice open an aloe vera leaf and squeeze out the gel into a clean bowl. Extract juice from this gel and drink about 2 tablespoons of this before a meal.
Pro tip: Do not drink more than a quarter cup of aloe vera juice in a day as it can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea.
3. Baking soda
Baking soda is basically sodium bicarbonate, an alkali, which helps neutralize the acid that causes heartburn. It’s a natural antacid, which works within minutes, relieving heartburn quickly and easily.
Remedy
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water. Drink this for almost instant relief from heartburn. You could also add a few drops of lemon juice to this solution.
4. Cabbage juice
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Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, which contains anti-inflammatory properties, that are excellent in alleviating numerous digestive problems. And heartburn is one of the main things it can help with.
Remedy
- In a blender or a juicer, grind about a quarter cup of chopped cabbage and 2 carrots. Drink half a cup of this juice in the morning, on an empty stomach to help prevent heartburn.
Pro tip: Fresh juices from other vegetables like radishes, beets, cucumbers, or carrots are also effective in reducing the acid production in the stomach.
5. Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea is another effective home remedy that helps relieve heartburn. It does so by helping reducing inflammation in your stomach, while also helping balance out the acidity levels too. Additionally, it helps relieve stress and help you sleep through the night, both of which, if not addressed, could cause acid reflux-induced heartburn.
Remedy
- To 1 cup of boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers. Cover it with a lid and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea into a clean cup, add a bit of honey or a few drops lemon juice and drink it twice or thrice a day to relieve heartburn.
6. Eat a fruit
A banana or an apple act as effective buffers against heartburn caused by acid reflux.
Remedy
- Eat an apple or an overripe banana every day to help ease heartburn. Or, you could eat either fruit a couple of hours before you go to sleep to relieve any discomfort.
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7. Fennel seeds
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Fennel seeds are amazing when it comes to relieving heartburn, because it helps control the production of stomach acid.
Remedies
- Chew half a teaspoon of fennel seeds through the day to find relief from heartburn, while also enjoying fresh breath.
- Add 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds to 1 cup of boiling water. Cover it with a lid, letting it sit for 10 minutes, before straining it into a cup. Drink this tea several times a day to relieve heartburn.
8. Ginger
Ginger is another excellent home remedy to help relieve heartburn. Not only does it help absorb the acid in the stomach, it also helps soothe the nerves that contribute to heartburn.
Remedies
- Eat slices of fresh ginger, if you can handle the spiciness.
- Use fresh ginger in cooking.
- To 1 cup of boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger. Cover it with a lid and let it steep for 10 minutes. Then, drink the strained ginger tea with a bit of honey. Do this several times a day to find relief from heartburn.
9. Lemon juice
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Lemon juice, although contains citric acid, helps relieve heartburn. Not only is it a stronger acid than apple cider vinegar, but contains more vitamins and minerals, that make it all the more effective in relieving heartburn.
Remedy
- Squeeze the juice from 1 organic lemon to half a cup of water, and drink it straight like a shot.
10. Milk
Milk is another excellent home remedy to relieve heartburn, because of its amazing soothing properties. It helps relax the valve between stomach and esophagus, thus preventing the acid from rising.
Remedy
- Drink a glass of milk that is laced with a bit of honey to find relief from heartburn.
Pro tip: This is an amazing home remedy for people who suffer from heartburn occasionally.
11. Mint
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Mint is an effective home remedy to relieve heartburn caused by indigestion. It contains soothing properties, which help calm the stomach as well as aids in digestion.
Remedy
- To 1 cup of water, add 1 tablespoon of crushed mint leaves. Cover it with a lid and let it stay for about half an hour. Drink this twice or thrice a day to find relief from heartburn.
12. Mustard
Mustard is a great alkalizing food which is rich in minerals and contains a weak acid, mainly in the form of vinegar. Although eating mustard as is might not be too palatable, once it acts to neutralize the acid in your stomach, it won’t matter how it tastes in the end.
Remedy
- Consume 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard straight. Follow it up with a glass of water to wash out the hit of mustard from your mouth.
13. Slippery elm
Slippery elm has several medicinal properties, among which, treating heartburn is one. It will help thicken the mucous lining of the stomach, thereby providing an effective barrier against the stomach acid.
Remedy
- To 1 cup of hot water, add 1 teaspoon of slippery elm powder. Cover it and let it steep for 10 minutes. Then, drink this tea after meals and before going to bed to find relief from heartburn.
14. Vinegar
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Vinegar is quite effective in relieving heartburn caused by acid reflux. It accomplishes this by helping close the valve between esophagus and stomach, thus preventing stomach acid from rising.
Remedy
- Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 glass of water and stir well. Drink this before each meal to find relief from heartburn.
Pro tip: Among the several types of vinegars available, apple cider vinegar works best.
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Additional tips
- Smoking and alcohol can aggravate heartburn. So cut back or stop indulging in both to relieve heartburn.
- Being overweight increases your risk of acid reflux and heartburn. So exercise, follow a healthy balanced diet, and lose weight to get relief from heartburn.
- Avoid too tight clothes since waist-cinched clothes can worsen heartburn.
- Identify your triggers for heartburn and take precautions to stay away from them.
- Eat small bite-sizes of food, instead of inhaling mouthfuls of food. Chew slowly and then swallow, allowing your stomach enough time to digest.
- Avoid trigger foods for heartburn – spicy foods, fried foods, and/or acidic foods.
- Avoid eating anything within 3-4 hours before going to bed.
- When experiencing heartburn, avoid lying down on your back, because gravity works against you, which only causes the digested contents of your stomach and the stomach acids to back up into your esophagus.
- Many times, chewing a piece of sugar-free gum helps relieve heartburn.
These are all the home remedies for heartburn that we have for you today. If you want to know more health tips, home remedies, and fitness secrets, subscribe to our newsletter today!
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