Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Is Chewing Gum Effective for Heartburn Relief?



This article will talk about chewing gum as a remedy for heartburn problems which most of us might not be aware of. Understanding how a simple gum can reduce heartburn problems will shed light to some of your queries.

Introduction
Heartburn is a digestive condition that can give discomfort and uneasiness to one. One common cause of heartburn is eating highly seasoned, fried and fatty foods. The stomach secretes acids to help food be properly digested and eating fatty foods tends the stomach to increase its acid production in order to digest fat. Fats are way harder to digest than other foods and sometimes if there is too much acid produced by the stomach it refluxes back to the esophagus thus the heartburn. Heartburn is usually described as that painful burning feeling that extends from the stomach, chest to the throat. As such chewing gum has been found to help relieve heartburn.
Chewing Gum-Heartburn Remedy
A study conducted by students of London’s Britain Kings College tested 21 volunteers. Each were given meals that are high in fats for 2 days. After their meals, volunteers were handed out chewing gum on their first day and then esophageal acids were measured. On the second day, no gums were given just their fatty meals, the esophageal acids were also measured. In the conclusion of their study, it was found out that acid levels measured on day one was far less than day two, thus suggesting that chewing gum administered after eating meals can really help reduce stomach acids resulting to heartburn prevention and relief.
Chewing gum makes one secrete more saliva and saliva incidentally has alkalizing effects that helps in nullifying acids produced by the stomach. Anything that makes one secrete more saliva is as effective as chewing gum. However, it also depends on the gum, a sugar free gum is a lot effective and does not cause any tooth decay or cause heartburn problems.
Chewing gum remedy is not effective to all as one might expect. People have different salivary glands and some may produce more compared to others and small amount of saliva produced cannot be effective enough to neutralize stomach acids. When chewing gum, one can feel that more air is swallowed every time and to do this every meal could make one feel bloated and stuffed of air.
Related Remedies
There are also other remedies for heartburn. Cold milk for instance is a good remedy for instant relief from heartburn especially skimmed milk types only since the calcium in it is effective for reducing acid production because it is alkaline based but one should understand that other types of milk only acts as a buffer to the stomach acids hence it does not lessen their level of acidity. Changing one’s lifestyle may also be a good idea to avoid heartburn like eating healthy fruits and vegetables and avoiding vices such as smoking and drinking alcohol. If any of the aforementioned remedies does not work then its best to see a doctor for a thorough examination and recommended medications.


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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Natural Heartburn Cures – How to Cure Heartburn Straightforward And Effective




What's heartburn?
Regardless of its name, heartburn does not impact the heart. Heartburn is a burning sense in the low chest, as well as a sour or sour flavor in the throat and mouth. It ordinarily occurs immediately after eating a big meal or while lying down. The sense can last for 2 minutes or possibly a few hours.
Heartburn is a standard condition with thousands of people affected by it especially in western countries. The most effective way to lose heartburn is through a natural technique, so they are saying. These heartburn cures are also inexpensive and don't require taking pharmaceuticals that will cause side-effects that may even be more serious than the condition itself.
If you are looking for ways to get rid of heartburn using natural means, these are some actually useful tips for you.
Shed weight – obesity is also seen as one of the chief reasons which explain why acid reflux happens. Chubby people are prone to gastroesophageal reflux illness or GERD than folk who have more healthy weight.
Avoid heartburn triggers – there are sorts of foods that can cause heartburn. Food triggers may vary from person to person but the commonest triggers include fatty and oily foods, spicy foods, raw onions, black pepper, garlic and peppermint. Chocolates too are alleged to cause acidic backwash as well as alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, citrus fruits and citrus juices.
Herbal cures – there are natural heartburn remedies that can help ease digestive discomforts and stop reflux of stomach acids into the esophagus. One of the most widely recommended herbal remedies is Aloe Vera juice. Other natural heartburn remedies include marshmallow, slippery elm, anti-oxidants, chewy DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) and bladderwrack.
Shed bad habits – drinking and smoking alcoholic drinks also trigger reflux. Smoking reduces saliva in the mouth and spit helps neutralise stomach acids. Alcohol on the other hand increases the acidity in the belly skyrocketing the likelihood of heartburn.
Cope with stress – stress may cause heartburn and one study states that 58% of frequent heartburn sufferers live hectic ways of living, eat unsuitable food or resort to food for comfort, smoke and drink.
This list should help you relieve your heartburn symptoms using simple homemade treatments, but they are not a replacement for serious medical therapy. If you're experiencing serious, regularly heartburn agony you must straight away visit a doctor. If your heartburn is a unusual occurrence, then by every means give these home heartburn remedies a shot.


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Monday, January 9, 2012

Symptoms of Heartburn During Pregnancy



In all likelihood, women may not have experienced heartburn not until they are pregnant and in most cases this actually happens. First time mothers having heartburn is a discomforting feeling.

Heartburn is a digestive condition that is often described as that burning pain that runs from the stomach all the way to the chest and throat. The causes of this are numerous but in relation to pregnancy, it is because of the hormonal changes that the body undergoes. When a woman is pregnant, their placenta secretes progesterone, a type of hormone that helps relax the muscles in the uterus. This hormone also tends to relax the valve separating the esophagus and the stomach which in turn allows gastric acids to go back up the throat thus the heartburn sensation.

The hormone progesterone also reduces the normal contractions of the intestines and esophagus thus the indigestion. As the baby grows inside the woman’s womb, it tends to put pressure to the abdominal cavity forcing the stomach contents and acids up to the esophagus.
Heartburn usually starts at the second trimester of pregnancy and unfortunately this could continue until the baby’s born.
Heartburn Remedies
When one has heartburn instances are they will have this condition for their entire life however it does not mean that this indigestion problem cannot be reduced or prevented. The following are effective remedies that one can do.

Avoiding foods that can cause gastrointestinal distress can be your first step to reducing heartburn like spicy, fatty and fried foods, citrus foods, tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, sodas, coffee, chocolate, mint products, processed meats and others. Another is to not stuff your stomach of too much food, instead eat small quantities and also take time to chew food properly. Take a rest for 3 hours after meals just before you sleep. Gums may also be effective in reducing heartburn as this makes one secrete more saliva that could help neutralize acids.

Proper posture is also a good idea to practice like keeping your body at an elevated angle while you sleep, the pillows must be placed higher so that the stomach acids won’t easily creep up to the esophagus. Another is to use your knees when bending and not your waist. Staying in shape is also a good way to reduce heartburn. The clothes that you wear should be comfortable and not tight fitting so as not to put pressure on your tummy.
Unhealthy vices like smoking and drinking should be avoided, though this should already be a must because of obvious health reasons but other than that it could also trigger heartburn symptoms. Do not take any kind of medication without the consent of your attending physician.
Want to find out more about heartburn, then visit Emma Deangela’s site as she shares her experience on how to handle heartburn symptoms, and in just less than 2 months, get rid of heartburn.


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