Tips to Prevent Nighttime Heartburn

There are at least 7.7 millions of Americans who suffer from heartburn, and 1 out of every 4 heartburn sufferers also experience nighttime heartburn symptoms. In the 2005 survey exploring heartburn and its effect on the sleeping pattern of those who suffers from it, over 50 percent of those who were surveyed admit that they are having difficulty staying asleep because of their condition.

Grab a snack. Contrary to the popular belief, grabbing a sandwich may put you to sleep faster than a glass of milk. But before you make yourself a baconator in the middle of the night, you may want to stick to healthy option and portion. To make a heartburn-free sandwich, make sure that you are not including the following: Tomato, catsup, and, of course, mustard.

Hit the gym. Most heartburn sufferers have weight problem. Studies show that obese, overweight, and even those who have some few extra pounds left are predisposed to suffering from heartburn and acid reflux than those who maintain a healthy weight.

This is why exercise is one of, if not, the most recommended remedies doctors can give their patients. Pursuing an active lifestyle will not only keep your heartburn symptoms at bay but will actually bring more benefits than you can imagine.

Chew gum after a meal. If you love spicy dishes and have been suffering heartburn for some time, make sure that you sneak a gum to your purse not only to banish the pungent onion smell (and taste) from your mouth but also to keep you heartburn-free all night. “Popping a gum right after dinner encourages the production of saliva, which acts as a great neutralizer against stomach acids,” says Chandler.

But don’t just pop in any gum; choose a flavor aside from peppermint and spearmint. Instead, have fruit-flavored gums in your purse.

Check your meds. If you have been consuming painkillers, calcium-channel blocker, chances are your heartburn symptoms immediately sets in as soon as you pop your meds in your mouth. But this doesn’t mean that you just go cold turkey; throwing your meds in your cabinet and never looking back may actually worsen your condition. Instead, call for an appointment and ask your doctor for better alternatives.

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Relieve the Pain Discover The Natural Cures For Heartburn

People has always relied on natural cures for heartburn when it came to relieving the pain that heartburn causes. Heartburn occurs when acid is pushed up the esophagus and leaves you with a burn feeling in your chest.

Heartburn is caused by several things including eating too much or eating to fast. It can be caused by lying down quickly after eating or by consuming certain foods such as citrus, caffeine or spicy foods. Some people are more susceptible to heartburn including pregnant women, people with diabetes and those with asthma.

A lot of people with general occasional heartburn take over the counter antacids. These medicines which come in liquid, tablet or effervescent forms help neutralize the acid in the stomach and create a layer to block the acid from going into the esophagus. For persistent, chronic or severe cases of heartburn prescription medicines are available.

As with most prescription medicines there are side effects. Some of which include constipation, weakness, bone pain, and tiredness. Some antacids deplete the body of needed minerals such as potassium which can cause severe problems. This has motivated the desire to find natural cures for heartburn.

Useful Natural Remedies

A simple natural cure for heartburn can be found in the garden or grocery store. It is peppermint tea or oil. Peppermint as with most mints has the ability to ease heartburn though a few say it can cause it as well. Peppermint has been used for centuries in Europe as a stomach soother and cure for heartburn while ginger has been used a natural cure for heartburn particularly in Asia. Ginger is known to help with nausea and stomach upset. Care has to be taken with peppermint oil as it is possible that it can raise the blood pressure.

Other herbs known to be natural cures for heartburn include chamomile which is a tried and true favorite. In addition to helping stomach ailments and heartburn chamomile also relaxes the mind and body. This can be a great benefit after a bout of painful heartburn wakes you up in the middle of the night.

Some use plain old baking soda as a natural cure for heartburn. The premise here is that the liquid in your stomach that causes the pain is acidic while baking soda is a substance that acts as a neutralizer. It can help in sudden attacks when you do not feel like rushing out and getting an over the counter antacid.

If you do not get heartburn a lot and there is not much suffering than than you can try a natural cure for heartburn. There are a lot of useful remedies that you can use.

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Discover Top Five Acid Reflux Prescription Medications

For some people, finding the right acid reflux prescription medications is something that turns out to be very simple, but for others, there may be some trial and error involved.

This condition is pretty straight forward, and there are many effective treatments and medications. Once you find something that works for you, you will probably have to take it for a few months to heal damage, though sometimes lifestyle changes can work wonders and you might be able to stop sooner. Most medications are of the once-a-day variety, but your doctor will tailor your prescription to your needs.

Here are five of the most common and most used medications for acid reflux.

Prilosec (generic name- omeprazole): You have probably seen commercials for Prilosec on television, and you might think it is an over-the-counter medication. Though there is an OTC form, there is also prescription strength available. This type of medication is a PPI, which stands for ‘proton pump inhibitor.’ This means that the medication is meant to lessen the amount of acid the stomach produces. Less acid production means less acid going up through the weakened stomach valve. This medication can promote healing of damaged tissues in as little as two months. This drug is swallowed whole, and has not been tested on pregnant or nursing moms.

Nexium (generic name- esomeprazole): Like Prilosec, this is a drug that is a PPI. It suppresses the enzymes that produce stomach acid to alleviate the symptoms and damage associated with GERD or gastric reflux. This comes in pill form, but there is an intravenous dose for special cases. This is often taken one hour before a meal, and is swallowed whole for best results. Also like Prilosec, this has not been studied with pregnant and nursing women.

Prevacid (generic name-lansoprazole): This is another of the PPI drugs, and it helps retard acid production while allowing the damaged tissues in the esophagus to properly heal. They can be swallowed, or there are tablets that can be placed under the tongue to dissolve rather than swallowed whole. Intravenous doses are available for those who cannot handle the tablet. This is also not be recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing.

Protonix (generic name- pantoprazole): Protonix is also a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) but is perhaps not as well known as the others. It works in the same manner though, and comes in only pill form at this time. Though this is a treatment for GERD, it is also known to be an effective treatment for ulcers. This pill might be taken in whole form only about 30 minutes before a meal for up to two months to decide if it is effective and if healing has occurred. This can not yet be recommended for pregnant and/or nursing women.

Tagamet (generic name-cimetidine): Though this is often thought of as an over-the-counter medication, it is available in prescription strength for those with persistent and daily heartburn problems. This works to stop acid production, but is different than the PPI variety of drug. It blocks histamines, which are known to stimulate acid production. In most cases, the prescription strength is only needed when there has been damage to the tissues. This is taken in pill form, and there is no research as to whether pregnant or nursing women should take it or not.

As with any type of medication, there is always the possibility that one of these might interact with other medications you may be taking for another condition, so be sure to let both your doctor and your pharmacist know what else you are taking.

You should find relief very quickly with each of these, and if you do not, talk to your doctor. You might need a different dosage of these acid reflux prescription medications, or you may not have acid reflux at all. There are times when other problems can mimic this condition, so if your meds are not working, you should get a second opinion.

 

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