As a common illness, heartburn affects millions of people around the world annually. The condition can affect people periodically or chronically, with some people suffering from heartburn even two or three times a week. What should you know about heartburn and the most effective ways to treat it homeopathically?
What Is Heartburn?
Heartburn is a common condition often experienced by people who suffer from heart disease or digestive system disorders. The condition is closely related to gastric reflux disease, when gastric acid from your stomach is regurgitated up through the esophagus. Sometimes, the cause of heartburn may be unknown and seem to be a disorder of the digestive system itself. This is called functional heartburn.
What Causes It?
For most people, heartburn rears its ugly head after a heavy meal or after eating certain foods (usually with high acidity), when an excessive amount of gastric acid is squirted into the esophagus to aid in the digestive process. Being highly acidic, this liquid irritates the digestive tube and causes the person to feel a burning sensation throughout the chest area.
In mild cases, drinking a little bit of water can help by diluting the gastric juice and should relief the pain and irritation. In more serious cases, you should see your physician to make sure your heart burn is not a symptom of another health problem and to discuss the best treatment plan for your specific needs.
Often, consuming a healthy and balanced diet may be all the change you need to get rid of your heartburn. If your physician recommends more than basic lifestyle changes to combat your heartburn, consider natural remedies before turning to strong medications that may be more than your body needs to solve this problem.
Homeopathic Solutions to Heartburn
Baking Soda
Baking soda, the same you use in your kitchen for cleaning and scent control, has proven to be a very effective treatment for heartburn. This is because baking soda is a basic alkaline compound that automatically neutralizes acidic substances immediately.
When you ingest a basic substance like baking soda, it counters the effects of the stomach acid that causes heartburn thus calming the pain and discomfort normally associated with the illness. To try using baking soda for heartburn, just mix a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water and drink up.
The reaction between your stomach acid and the baking soda will cause carbon dioxide to be produced, so expect to have to deal with some gas production.
Make sure not to use baking soda for heartburn treatment more than five times a day or one and a half times if over sixty years old, and never for a period longer than two weeks unless directed otherwise by your doctor. Be careful if taking any other antacid medication; the combination of the two can negatively affect the natural production of gastric acid in your stomach and lead to a host of problems.
If you are on a low-sodium diet, baking soda is not the right solution for your heartburn because of its effects on the sodium levels in your blood. Make sure to consult your doctor before taking baking soda for heartburn if you are suffering from any type of kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart failure, or any form of bleeding in your digestive system or if you are nursing or pregnant.
Chewing Gum
Chewing gum has shown to be effective against minor acid reflux problems. Chewing a piece of gum for about half an hour could relieve your heartburn by stimulating the production of saliva to counteract the effects of too much gastric acid.
Licorice
Believe it or not, licorice can also be used as a cure for heartburn. Although doctors still aren’t sure exactly how it works, studies have shown that ingesting licorice can combat stomach acid and help heal any irritation in your stomach and digestive tract. Consuming too much licorice can have serious effects on your blood pressure, so don’t use this cure if you have high blood pressure.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is an incredibly useful plant to keep around the house and treat minor health problems. In fact, aloe vera is often used to fix skin and scalp problems, soothe burns, and speed up healing in addition to combating heartburn.
This miraculous plant has anti-inflammatory properties that relieve pain and treat your wounds. Drinking half a cup of aloe vera juice each day can help reduce the symptoms of heartburn, but be careful not to exceed this dosage as ingesting more can have laxative effects.
Slippery Elm
Slippery elm is another plant that has been used for ages to treat heartburn. This plant helps thicken the stomach’s natural mucous lining and thus make it stand up stronger to the effects of gastric acid.
Just mix two tablespoons of slippery elm sap with a glass of water and drink the mixture before going to bed. Your heartburn should feel significantly better the next day.
In Conclusion
Heartburn is one of the most common illnesses afflicting adults today. Naturally treat your discomfort with one of these homeopathic cures that will not only treat your heartburn but that is also good for your entire body.
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