Many patients attribute the appearance of heartburn to elementary errors in nutrition and do not think about the need for specific treatment, but try to find ways to get rid of heartburn at home with improvised means or completely leave such symptoms without attention.
To some extent, arguments about the food origin of heartburn are quite logical.
Indeed, the occurrence of heartburn is closely related to lifestyle and eating habits.
But most often, an unpleasant burning sensation behind the sternum indicates serious health problems and requires professional help.
Heartburn: causes and symptoms
Heartburn manifests irritation of the receptors in the esophagus. A similar reaction occurs when exposed to the mucous layer of aggressive elements. The problem appears against the background of the penetration of acid contents from the stomach directly into the esophagus or after consuming irritating foods or liquids.
The mucous membrane in the esophagus plays the role of a protective layer of deeper muscle tissue. Nature provides for universal protection of the esophagus, consisting of:
• reflex salivation, which helps maintain acidity in the esophagus;
• a locking mechanism that prevents the back penetration of the contents of the stomach;
• motility of muscle tissue, providing food evacuation in the natural direction.
With any failure in such a mechanism, prerequisites for the appearance of irritation of the mucosa appear, which give a burning sensation.
The problem is exacerbated by increasing the aggressiveness of the reflux agent. Increased acidity, the presence of elements of bile of the duodenum 12 or pancreatic enzymes in the stomach increase the likelihood of aggressive effects on the walls of the esophagus.
Therefore, heartburn is a characteristic clinical sign:
1. Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
2. Esophagitis of a different nature:
traumatic or professional;
infectious or immune;
allergic or medicinal;
chemical or thermal.
3. Functional and physiological pathologies of the esophagus and sphincter.
4. Diseases of the stomach: gastritis, ulcers.
Heartburn with such ailments can be accompanied by:
• belching with an acidic or bitter taste;
• belching food;
• nausea or vomiting;
• excessive salivation;
• burning pains extending to the neck, sternum, under the shoulder blades;
• sensation of a lump in the throat;
• problems with swallowing food;
• hoarseness of voice;
• causeless coughing.
The duration of heartburn can vary from a few seconds to an hour. The person is tormented by unpleasant sensations, and in any case he is trying to find ways to reduce the manifestations of negative symptoms at home.
However, the process may be aggravated by:
• overeating, which helps to stretch the stomach and increase pressure;
• inclinations and physical activity after meals, which provokes food reflux into the esophagus;
• increased intra-abdominal pressure that occurs during pregnancy, obesity, problems with the intestines, wearing tight clothing;
• abuse of acidic, fatty or spicy foods;
• nervous strain.
Heartburn: how to get rid at home - medication
To find an effective way to get rid of heartburn at home, you need to find out the reason why this symptom occurs. In medical practice, for the treatment of food pathologies associated with heartburn, combined therapy is used, including the correction of behavioral and eating habits and the use of medications.
To get rid of heartburn at home, doctors recommend being treated with antacids. Preparations of this group help to neutralize the aggressiveness of stomach acid, due to its enveloping properties.
Antacids in the form of Almagel or Phosphalugel are recommended to be taken at least three times during the day, waiting 20 minutes after a meal. With a rather severe burning, it is allowed to increase the dosage and take medicine to pay off the attack of heartburn at home.
It is forbidden to combine such medicines with the simultaneous use of other drugs, as they resist the natural absorption of healing components in the stomach. If you need to take other medications while taking antacids, it is recommended to wait at least an hour.
However, it should be remembered that antacids are designed to get rid of the discomfort in the form of heartburn at home, but are not able to treat the underlying disease that triggered the burning sensation.
Doctors recommend supplementing therapy with drugs that can inhibit the synthesis of stomach acid. By reducing the aggressiveness of the refluxant, heartburn can be prevented. At home, you can use Ranitidine, Omeprozole. However, you can take such drugs, being fully confident in the presence of high acidity. There are rare cases when heartburn is observed in patients with low acidity with sensitive mucosa in the esophagus.
It is advisable to take to get rid of heartburn at home and prokinetics. Medicines such as Domperidone or Metoclopramide help improve gastric motility and speedy evacuation of the food lump from it, increase the tone of the sphincters.
The use of any medications should be agreed with the doctor. Heartburn can be a sign of serious pathologies such as Barrett's esophagus, stenosis or stricture, as well as ulcerative or purulent esophagitis. The use of symptomatic medications is ineffective in such cases, since such diseases require specific treatment or surgical intervention.
Heartburn: how to get rid at home - folk remedies
Heartburn is a rather insidious phenomenon and can appear in the most unpredictable situations. And if there are no “saving” anti-burn medicines at hand, the search begins on how to get rid of heartburn at home with improvised folk remedies.
Immediately cross off soda and milk from your list. There are many recommendations stating the rapid and effective action of these funds in heartburn. Indeed, soda is able to suppress burning seizures. But literally in 10-15 minutes the opposite effect occurs, since after such a violent chemical reaction that occurred in the stomach after the alkali and acid combine, increased secretion of gastric juice begins, which leads to new even more severe attacks of heartburn.
The easiest way to get rid of heartburn at home is to use simple, pure or mineral alkaline water without gas. Pure water literally flushes acid from the mucous membrane, which brings relief. And alkaline mineral water helps neutralize the acid factor.
To get rid of heartburn at home, you can use:
1. Infusion or decoction of chamomile, which relieves inflammatory reactions.
2. Potato juice or gruel from potatoes, helping to reduce the production of stomach acid.
3. Activated carbon, which literally absorbs and removes excess acid content.
4. Dill seeds that must be chewed and swallowed, washed down with water.
5. Vegetable oil. It is drunk in a small volume. With heartburn, provoked by fatty foods, this method can not be used.
6. Rice unsalted broth having antacid properties.
7. Fresh cabbage, the leaves of which must be eaten raw.
8. Baked pumpkin with cinnamon.
9. Ashes from a smoked cigarette.
10. Honey to be absorbed.
11. Ginger added to tea.
12. Decoction or tincture of flax seed, which envelops the stomach.
Any improvised means should be used for single or rare attacks of heartburn. If a burning sensation is observed constantly or is repeated with regular frequency, it is better not to experiment, but to seek help from a doctor.
Heartburn: how to get rid at home - what can I eat?
Nutrition has a special role in the treatment of any digestive pathologies. Since heartburn is closely related to eating habits, you will have to adjust your diet to get rid of unpleasant sensations at home.
First of all, you need to break down the diet into as many meals as possible. This will reduce portions, which eliminates overeating.
Annoying foods in the form of spicy, sour, salty dishes are completely removed from the menu.
It is advisable to refuse fatty foods that provoke increased secretion of gastric acid.
The diet must be saturated with foods and dishes of an alkalizing nature. To do this, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and low-fat protein dishes are introduced in large quantities on the menu.
Therefore, the favorite products on the menu of a person suffering from heartburn are:
• various cereals;
• fresh vegetables;
• non-acidic fruits;
• lean fish or meat;
• dairy products.
The ban also included dishes that cause increased gas formation, flatulence in the form of carbonated drinks, and some vegetable combinations.
You should also abandon products for which there are individual reactions of the body. It can be citrus fruits, milk, tomatoes or cabbage, carrots.
Eating behavior and habits also affect the occurrence of heartburn. Therefore, it is recommended to refuse to wear tightening clothes, inclines and physical exertion immediately after meals, night snacks and late dinners.
