Heartburn can be prevented and treated in a variety of ways. In general, treatment can fall into one of three categories. There are lifestyle changes, medications and surgery. Here we look at the lifestyle changes that can be put in place in order to live more comfortably with this digestive disorder, as well as some of the medications that can bring you relief.
Change Your Life
Refrain From Sleeping After Eating: Do not lie down to take a nap or go to bed at night for at least three hours following a meal. Gravity is more likely to work against you and push stomach juices into the esophagus if you are lying in a horizontal position. Remain upright until the digestive process is well underway. A full stomach, sleep and reflux can easily combine to make you feel miserable.
Change Your Eating Habits: The type of foods you eat on a regular basis can play a role in how often you suffer from heartburn and how bad each episode is. In order to have as few problems as possible you need to avoid eating all fried and fatty foods, citrus fruits (and citrus fruit beverages), caffeine, chocolate, tomatoes and tomato products, pepper, peppermint and alcohol. Following is a look at some of the worst offenders when it comes to causing heartburn.
Foods to Avoid
Fatty, Fried Fast Foods: Before you stop in at the drive-thru at McDonald's for a big Mac and an order of French fries perhaps you should think twice. Do you want to pay for this fast meal of greasy food with an uncomfortable heartburn attack? The majority of food that is sold at most fast food chains is not at all beneficial for a person who suffers from heartburn. In particular hamburgers, fried chicken and French fries are the worst choices. If you must eat at a fast food restaurant then opt for a salad or a grilled chicken burger.
Fruit: Fruits contain a high concentration of acid and are therefore not a good bet for a person who has heartburn. The ones with the highest acid content include grapefruits, lemons, cranberries and oranges. In the same way, tomatoes are a fruit and they are not going to do your digestive system anything good in terms of reflux. Avoid eating tomatoes and any tomato products such as tomato sauce or tomato paste.
Chocolate: Chocolate is so yummy but it can cause more problems than it is worth for heartburn sufferers. In fact, chocolate is one of the worst triggers of heartburn. That includes all types of chocolate in any form, be it chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate drinks and chocolate bars. Even a donut with a little bit of chocolate icing can cause problems depending on the severity of your condition.
Medications
Antacids: These can be in the form of pills or liquid, and are easily available without a prescription. There are also over-the-counter foaming agents that do their part to prevent heartburn from occurring by coating the contents of the stomach with a layer of foam. An example of one of these is Gaviscon. This type of medication is okay for occasional use. It is meant only for those who have not sustained any damage to their esophagus due to the heartburn problem.
Proton Pump Inhibitors: This type of medication is available by prescription only. Examples of it include Prilosec (omeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole), Aciphex (rabeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole) and Protonix (pantoprazole). This medication is more effective than antacids because it can relieve practically all of the symptoms associated with heartburn. It is rare for a person suffering from heartburn to not be helped by proton pump inhibitors. In some cases, Prilosec may be able to be purchased in an over-the-counter version known as Prilosec OTC. Please be advised that you should only use proton pump inhibitors under the supervision of a physician. - 32390
Change Your Life
Refrain From Sleeping After Eating: Do not lie down to take a nap or go to bed at night for at least three hours following a meal. Gravity is more likely to work against you and push stomach juices into the esophagus if you are lying in a horizontal position. Remain upright until the digestive process is well underway. A full stomach, sleep and reflux can easily combine to make you feel miserable.
Change Your Eating Habits: The type of foods you eat on a regular basis can play a role in how often you suffer from heartburn and how bad each episode is. In order to have as few problems as possible you need to avoid eating all fried and fatty foods, citrus fruits (and citrus fruit beverages), caffeine, chocolate, tomatoes and tomato products, pepper, peppermint and alcohol. Following is a look at some of the worst offenders when it comes to causing heartburn.
Foods to Avoid
Fatty, Fried Fast Foods: Before you stop in at the drive-thru at McDonald's for a big Mac and an order of French fries perhaps you should think twice. Do you want to pay for this fast meal of greasy food with an uncomfortable heartburn attack? The majority of food that is sold at most fast food chains is not at all beneficial for a person who suffers from heartburn. In particular hamburgers, fried chicken and French fries are the worst choices. If you must eat at a fast food restaurant then opt for a salad or a grilled chicken burger.
Fruit: Fruits contain a high concentration of acid and are therefore not a good bet for a person who has heartburn. The ones with the highest acid content include grapefruits, lemons, cranberries and oranges. In the same way, tomatoes are a fruit and they are not going to do your digestive system anything good in terms of reflux. Avoid eating tomatoes and any tomato products such as tomato sauce or tomato paste.
Chocolate: Chocolate is so yummy but it can cause more problems than it is worth for heartburn sufferers. In fact, chocolate is one of the worst triggers of heartburn. That includes all types of chocolate in any form, be it chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate drinks and chocolate bars. Even a donut with a little bit of chocolate icing can cause problems depending on the severity of your condition.
Medications
Antacids: These can be in the form of pills or liquid, and are easily available without a prescription. There are also over-the-counter foaming agents that do their part to prevent heartburn from occurring by coating the contents of the stomach with a layer of foam. An example of one of these is Gaviscon. This type of medication is okay for occasional use. It is meant only for those who have not sustained any damage to their esophagus due to the heartburn problem.
Proton Pump Inhibitors: This type of medication is available by prescription only. Examples of it include Prilosec (omeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole), Aciphex (rabeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole) and Protonix (pantoprazole). This medication is more effective than antacids because it can relieve practically all of the symptoms associated with heartburn. It is rare for a person suffering from heartburn to not be helped by proton pump inhibitors. In some cases, Prilosec may be able to be purchased in an over-the-counter version known as Prilosec OTC. Please be advised that you should only use proton pump inhibitors under the supervision of a physician. - 32390
About the Author:
Almost everyone gets a bad case of heartburn at one time or another. Some people, however, never seem to be able to get rid of it, and many suffer from chronic heartburn. Learn more about the symptoms, prevention and treatment of this painful condition at Heartburn Relief.
