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Heartburn and 7 ways to combat it
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Probably many have experienced an unpleasant burning sensation in the lower esophagus, or, in other words, heartburn. This is a harmless condition, but extremely unpleasant and capable of ruining a person's life.
What is heartburn and who suffers from it?
Some people have problems with the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus, which allows acid to flow up into the esophagus. This causes inflammation and pain. Heartburn can affect anyone, but some people are at higher risk of developing heartburn. These risk groups include people who are overweight, wear tight clothing, eat large meals, or smoke.
How to deal with heartburn?
You can cope with mild symptoms of heartburn by changing some of your eating habits and daily routine. First, you need to eat small portions. And second, dinner should not be too late. You need to have dinner at least three to four hours before bedtime.
Monitor the food you eat
In addition to changing your meal schedule, you need to watch what you eat. Some foods can trigger heartburn because they contain acid, which further affects the occurrence of burning sensations, and can also relax the lower esophageal sphincter. First of all, control the consumption of such foods as garlic, onions, tomatoes, citrus juices and fatty foods, peppermint, chocolate, as well as grapefruits and oranges. Spicy foods can also cause heartburn.
Drinks can also cause heartburn
In some people, drinking beverages such as tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol, orange and tomato juices can also cause heartburn. However, if you do not feel worse after drinking them, then you do not need to avoid them.
Physical exercise
The risk of acid reflux can be increased by physical activity that puts more stress on the stomach. There are some exercises that are more likely than others to alter the natural digestive process, such as the downward facing dog pose in yoga or abdominal exercises that cause acid to be released into the esophagus.
Heartburn at night
If you suffer from heartburn at night, you can try raising the head of your bed by 10-15 centimeters. This will help keep the acid in your stomach. Reflux also occurs less often if you lie on the left side of your body.
Tight clothing
Tight clothing can not only leave marks on the skin, but also put pressure on the stomach, which is also a cause of heartburn.
Folk remedy - soda
There is a very popular method of getting rid of heartburn among the people - a soda solution. This will really help to neutralize the acid for some time, but the carbon dioxide formed when taking soda provokes the release of hydrochloric acid, causing disturbances in the water-salt balance of the body.
[ Antacid drugs
Antacid, enveloping drugs protect the esophageal mucosa from the action of gastric juice, enveloping it. Despite the rapid neutralization of gastric acid, the antacid is also quickly washed out of the stomach, and its excessive use can cause side effects.