What Is Heartburn
Everyone produces stomach acid to help with digestion. If your stomach produces too much acid, heartburn symptoms can occur. This happens when stomach acid moves up into your esophagus, the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. Occasional heartburn can be caused by diet and lifestyle choices. It's important to know that different people experience heartburn in different ways. You may have one or more of the symptoms listed below.
Heartburn symptoms:
- Painful burning in the chest, just behind the breastbone, typically 1 to 4 hours after eating
- Sour or bitter taste in the mouth
- Excessive burping
- A hoarse, sore throat
- Coughing or choking while lying down
- Sleep problems after eating
Heartburn can mimic a heart attack. If you have any doubt about the source of your pain, get emergency treatment immediately.
Simple Heartburn Tips
Heartburn happens. But there are more than a few things you can do to keep the burn at bay. Some simple changes in your lifestyle can make a big difference in how often you get heartburn — and how severe it is.
Here are a few quick tips to avoid heartburn or keep it from getting worse.
- Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating
- Do not eat late at night, or just before bedtime
- Do not exercise right after eating
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Consider quitting smoking
- Raise the head of your bed 4 to 8 inches
- Wear loose-fitting clothing around your stomach
Dietary Recommendations
Certain foods and how you eat them can be big triggers for heartburn. Here are some tips to keep in mind so that you can enjoy eating and not pay for it later.
FOODS THAT MAY TRIGGER HEARTBURN:
- Coffee (both regular and decaffeinated) and other drinks that contain caffeine
- Carbonated drinks
- Citrus fruits
- Fatty food
- Chocolate
- Spicy food
- Fried food
- Alcohol
- Certain fruits and vegetables
Tips on how to minimize heartburn:
- Eat high-protein, low-fat meals
- Do not eat late at night, or just before bedtime
- Eat slowly and do not eat big meals
- Eat small portions — less food means less acid in your stomach
Stress Management
Stress can cause heartburn by leading to some of the behaviors that induce it. Under stress we're more likely to eat high-fat comfort foods, smoke cigarettes and drink caffeinated beverages. Stress may even increase sensitivity to heartburn pain.
TIPS ON HOW TO RELAX:
- Try to stay on a regular schedule
- Consider quitting smoking
- Get enough sleep – 7 to 8 hours
- Exercises such as yoga or Pilates
- Wear loose-fitting comfortable clothes
- Take a mental break and visualize a place that makes you feel relaxed. Try the ocean or a walk in the park. See, feel and hear the things you are imagining.
Fitness Advice
Did you know that even folks in the best of shape experience an increase in heartburn after exercise? That's because certain movements can bring on the burn. Here are some ways to stay fit and healthy without the pain of heartburn.
Tips to avoid exercise-induced heartburn:
- Pre-workout meals should be high in carbs and low in protein
- Avoid heartburn-inducing foods and large meals before exercise
- Do not exercise on a full stomach or right after eating
- Take heartburn medication before exercising
- Avoid exercises that force you to move up and down against gravity: jogging, aerobics or jumping rope
- Avoid sit-ups, weight lifting and cycling as they add pressure to the abdomen
- If you must jog or lift weights, try exercising at a lower intensity than usual
How to get your move on safely:
The following exercises are less likely to induce heartburn:
What is Indigestion?
Indigestion basically means difficulty in digesting food. It is a common term which is often used to describe any or all of the following symptoms, suffered after eating or drinking:-
- Pain in the upper abdomen or chest
- Belching and feeling bloated
- Wind
- A feeling of "fullness" after eating
- Feeling sick and vomiting
- Heartburn - which can develop at any time and may not be as a result of eating or drinking
Acid indigestion specifically occurs when you have too much acid in your stomach and this causes pain and discomfort. Acid Indigestion can be caused by a number of different factors but it is often related to our lifestyle. Being overweight, smoking, drinking alcohol and consuming certain types of food and drink can contribute to the development of acid indigestion.
Simple Indigestion Tips
Medicines available from over the counter can relieve your symptoms almost immediately, but a change in lifestyle may be needed to reduce the frequency and severity of indigestion and heartburn:-
- Try to determine what may be causing your indigestion. The simple answer is to cut this out of your lifestyle:
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Avoid large fatty or spicy meals
- Eat small meals, more often
- Try not to eat just before bedtime
- Try to avoid drinking too much coffee or alcohol
- If you smoke, speak to your pharmacist about advice on stopping smoking
- Try to avoid stressful situations
Other Advice:
- Avoid bending, lifting things or lying down soon after a meal as this can increase the chance of acid reflux
- Avoid wearing tight fitting clothing as this can also put excess pressure on the stomach
- If you suffer from heartburn at night, raise the head of your bed by approximately 6 inches so you are sleeping on an incline.
