It may have several names, but we call it what it feels like… heartburn. At some point, everyone gets heartburn. The burning sensation that grabs you behind the ribcage in the center of your chest, also known as pyrosis, or acid indigestion can be acute or mild and is a reminder of the things that we should not eat. It strikes just behind the breastbone and makes its way up to your throat. On occasion, many people have gotten acute heartburn so badly that they rushed to a hospital praying they were not having a heart attack. Now we know that some types of heartburn can be a symptom of an underlying heart condition known as ischemic heart disease.

Acid Reflux Disease

The one type of heartburn that many wish to avoid is caused by gastro esophageal reflux disease. It occurs when gastric acid from the stomach is regurgitated into the esophagus and throat. There are steps that we can take to avoid heartburn in general.

– Avoid certain foods that cause heartburn, like orange juice, fatty foods, and foods that are cooked in grease. Spicy foods, like garlic can cause heartburn as well as foods that have a high acid content like tomato sauce and even chocolate. Food or beverage that contains caffeine, like coffee, tea, and energy drinks will give you heartburn as well.

– Eat slowly. Many people realize that they get heartburn if they eat two or three huge meals during the day. The trick is to eat several smaller meals and avoid eating for a few hours before bedtime.

– Cigarettes can cause heartburn. If you smoke and have frequent, painful heartburn, cut back on the amount of cigarettes that you smoke or quit altogether. Long-term smokers get heartburn from the phlegm that rises into their throats and should quit if it has advanced to this dangerous stage.

– Anything you do after a meal to slow down digestion can trigger heartburn. If you workout after a meal, you slow down digestion. After a big meal, remain upright to help ease the risk of heartburn. Taking a walk will help digestion as well but do not take a power-walk, just a slow casual stroll through your neighborhood until you feel the bloated feeling ease.

– Eat slowly and wear loose clothing. When we eat too quickly, we can stir up the acids that cause heartburn. If our food is not chewed properly, we make digestion difficult, which can result in heartburn. Try that old trick of chewing each bite forty times. That will slow your pace and you will actually eat less.

See Your Physician

There are many over the counter medications that work very well for heartburn. Some of these include chewable tablets, however, most people prefer the pink liquid heartburn fighter. In the case of acid reflux, stronger drugs are sometimes necessary. Your doctor will prescribe a strong medication that will not only help with this ongoing illness but also help to heal the damage done to the esophagus by the backed-up acid. Remember these tricks and you can avoid too many bouts with heartburn.

Author Bio: For more information please visit our Bloodborne Pathogens Training website.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: garlic,fatty foods,Acid Reflux Disease,heart disease,breastbone,burning sensation ,Heartburn