Fiery Grandma Finds Relief From Heartburn and Acid Reflux
By Carla Gardiner on September 23, 2012
An awful fiery awakening
Have you ever been awakened in the middle of the night to that sour burning feeling in your throat? It hurts to even swallow your own saliva; it is like knives slicing through your esophagus hot as fiery coals!
If you have you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from the symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux every day. I suffered for years not knowing if I had heartburn or acid reflux. I didn’t know how to tell the difference or what to do to make it stop. I tried all the over the counter medications like Tums, Rolaids, Maalox and Pepto Bismol as well as natural solutions like aloe vera juice and digestive enzymes.
Thank goodness I didn’t try the prescription medications like Pepcid AC, Nexium and Prevasid. After learning more about these medications from Dr. Mark Hyman, I’m glad I didn’t resort to using drugs as they create even more problems.
If you are like me and millions of other heartburn sufferers you want to know what it is, how to avoid it and stop the pain, right? Let’s look at what some of the causes of heartburn and acid reflux are and what we can do to stop it.
What is heartburn?
Heartburn is caused by stomach acids rising up into the esophagus. This is also called reflux. It happens when the sphincter at the opening of the esophagus relaxes. This allows the acids that break down food in the stomach to come up. It creates a burning feeling that, if left untreated, can eventually damage the esophagus. It can be so incredibly painful, nearly debilitating at times, interrupting sleep and making meals unpleasant.
Despite its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. A few of the symptoms, though, are comparable to those of heart disease or a heart attack.
Common heartburn symptoms
- A burning feeling in the chest just behind the breastbone that occurs after eating and can last a few minutes to several hours.
- Chest pain, especially after bending over, lying down or eating.
- Burning in the throat or hot, sour, acidic or salty-tasting fluid at the back of the throat.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Feeling of food “sticking” in the middle of the chest or throat.
- Heartburn may cause chronic cough, sore throat, or chronic hoarseness.
Heartburn can be brought on by many conditions. It also is common in pregnant women, and may be triggered or caused by consuming food in large quantities. Eating certain foods containing certain spices, high fat content, or high acid content can also bring it on.
Infrequent heartburn isn’t dangerous, but chronic heartburn can point to and progress into more severe problems. Unfortunately heartburn is a daily occurrence for roughly 10% of Americans and up to 50% of pregnant women. It’s an occasional bother for 30% of the population.
There are dozens of research papers documenting the link between oxidative stress and the inflammation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, enteritis, colitis and associated cancers as well as pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis.
Make it stop!
- Lose weight by eating healthy. Extra fat around your middle can press against the stomach and increase the pressure
- Avoid large fatty or spicy meals.
- Eat more frequently, smaller portions. Try eating four to five small meals instead of two or three large ones. Eat slowly, chewing until the food is dissolved. This is the only place the saliva is produced and begins the digestive process.
- Try not to eat just before bedtime.
- Cut down on coffee, caffeinated tea and cola. These increase the acid content in the stomach as well as relax the LES.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol.
- Quit smoking
- Try using an extra pillow, put a couple of books under the legs at the head of the bed.
- Drink a small glass of water at the end of meals to help dilute and wash down any stomach acid that might be splashing up into the esophagus
- Drink heartburn-friendly beverages like water, mineral water, decaffeinated tea, non-citrus juices, or nonfat or low-fat milk
- Avoid beverages like sodas and certain juices. Sodas can bloat the abdomen and encourage stomach acid to splash up into the esophagus, while tomato and citrus juices can irritate a damaged esophagus
- Eat a high fiber diet – A recent study found that people who followed a high-fiber meal plan were 20% less likely to have heartburn symptoms, regardless of their body weight. You’ll find fiber in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds (basically unprocessed plant foods).
After years of suffering in silence I finally found the secret that helped me get rid of the pain and inconvenience of heartburn and acid reflux for good. The best part of my secret is that I not only feel better, I’ve lost 54 pounds of belly fat, my back doesn’t hurt like it used to and every day I gain more energy than the day before.
If you haven’t received your copy of my free e-book that contains the entire story of my secret weapons, grab it today. It’s free and could be just what you’ve been looking for to stop the pain from chronic heartburn and acid reflux, too.
Share this with other women and men in your life that could benefit from learning how to prevent heartburn and acid reflux to enjoy a longer, healthier life, too.
Originally posted on The Fiery Grandma.
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