Heartburn Treatments

Heartburn is an uncomfortable burning feeling within your chest, and is usually worse when lying down. Everyone experiences occasional heartburn. It can usually be treated with easy to implement changes in lifestyle. Still, chronic heartburn may be a symptom of a worsening problem. At this point a visit to the doctor is in order.

The painful fire burning in your chest typically occurs after eating, and may be worse at night. Heartburn takes place when acids from the stomach backup into the esophagus. You should visit a doctor if you suffer this problem more than two times a week, or if it does not go away after using over-the-counter medications.

In addition there are some foods and beverages that are more likely to cause heartburn than others. Alcohol, coffee, fried foods, chocolate, mustard, ketchup, and vinegar are likely to contribute to heartburn. In addition foods high in fat may also cause heartburn in some people. Not all people who indulge in the mentioned drinks or foods will suffer from heartburn, but some individuals may be sensitive to them.

Chronic heartburn is a problem that interferes with your daily life. It is also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease. Your doctor may issue you prescription medicine to help with this disorder. For the occasional sufferer antacids can be taken and will help reduce the effect of stomach acids. There also over-the-counter medications that lessen the production of acids in the stomach.

In the end, lifestyle changes may be required to eliminate, or at least reduce heartburn. Raising your head when you sleep may also help reduce symptoms. If you suffer chronic heartburn and smoke, you should seriously consider quitting. Smoking causes the lower esophageal muscles to fail causing stomach acid to backup. If the problem is chronic make an appointment with the doctor.

Announced late last week, more than 13 million different packages of Rolaids are being recalled, including Rolaids Multi-Symptom plus Anti-Gas Softchews, Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews, and Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews. The recall is due to many consumer complaints that have claimed that the Rolaids products contained both wood and metal particles.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, believes that the wood and metal particles found their way into the different Rolaids products while being produced at a third-party manufacturer. The recall is voluntary and production of the products in question has been temporarily suspended.

Rolaids, which are an antacid treatment for heartburn have been very popular for years but have been slowly losing popularity due to other effective, popular treatments.

According to the Rolaids website, “Consumers who purchased product included in this recall should contact McNeil Consumer Healthcare, either at www.rolaids.com or by calling 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) for instructions about receiving a refund. Consumers who have medical concerns or questions should contact their healthcare provider.”

For the official release, go to http://www.rolaids.com/page.jhtml?id=rolaids/include/recall_dec.inc

According to a study published by Merck Consumer Care earlier this year, Merck announced that ZEGERID OTC proved to offer quicker and more effective acid control than Prevacid 24HR capsules.

This head to head study evaluated participants who had taken both medications for a full seven days and the effectiveness was tested no day seven, giving each participant a chance to run through a full course of treatment.  The purpose of the study was to measure the amount of acid reduction and the amount of time it took for each medication to reach full effect.  Both drugs are proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) and work by stopping acid production in the stomach.  Read here for other methods of Heartburn Treatment.

The clinical study tracked gastric pH levels in participants who either took daily doses of ZEGERID OTC or Prevacid 24HR capsules.  After seven days of taking the medications, participants who had taken ZEGERID OTC had shown to have not only reached a higher gastric pH level of acid control but they reached it twice as fast as participants who had taken Prevacid 24HR capsules.  The study tested the gastrich pH levels of the participants throughout the entire day and participants taking ZEGERID OTC capsules showed a much higher acid control level throughout the day than participants taking Prevacid 24HR capsules.

ZEGERID OTC and Prevacid 24HR capsules are both over-the-counter medications available at any major pharmacy or grocery store.  Both are also available online at discounted prices.  Buy ZEGERID OTC here or buy Prevacid 24HR capsules here.

There are many contributing factors that can cause heartburn.  The biggest contributor is the foods we eat.  To find out which ones to avoid, read Foods That Cause Heartburn.  However, food is not the only contributing factor.  There are many lifestyle changes you can make to not only stop heartburn, but you can prevent it from coming back.  Here are some lifestyle changes you can start making today to begin your journey to heartburn relief.

• Give yourself 2-3 hours after eating dinner before going to bed.  This gives your stomach time to digest your food and neutralize stomach acids.  For other bedtime tips, read how to Stop Heartburn At Night.
• Try to avoid overeating.  Overeating causes additional pressure on your stomach which in turn causes more pressure on your LES, increasing the chances of having heartburn.  Instead, eat smaller meals throughout the day.
• One suggestion is to sleep on your left side during the night.  The is supposed to help with the digestion process.
• Slow down when eating your food.  Allow yourself time for the food to go down your esophagus and begin digestion in your stomach.
• Try to avoid close that are tight fitting around your stomach / abdomen area.  These can cause added pressure, thus making you more susceptible to getting heartburn.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.  You don’t want to drink too much at once, but space it out throughout the entire day.
• Keep your diet in check.  People who are overweight are much more likely to suffer from heartburn than those who are healthy.
• Practice stress management.  Stress and anxiety can both cause heartburn.  Learn how to effectively deal with stress.

By following these lifestyle changes, you are putting the ball in your court.  Many people who suffer from heartburn do not realize that their lifestyle habits is what is causing their heartburn.  The best way to stop heartburn is to prevent it!

Suffering from heartburn can be very inconvenient and very miserable at times.  Most people do not realize that the main cause of heartburn is bad eating habits.   Overeating, eating too fast, or even eating with bad posture can all be contributing factors to triggering your heartburn.  I’m going to share with you some eating tips that will hep you get rid of your heartburn.

Eat Less, More Often

When you eat larger meals, you take the risk of food and stomach acids being pushed back out of your lower esophageal sphincter (LES), and up into your esophagus causing the burning sensation that we call heartburn as well as the sour, acidic taste you get in the back of your throat.  Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, eat 5-6 smaller meals.

Know Which Foods to Avoid

If you are constantly suffering from heartburn, it is important for you to learn which Foods That Cause Heartburn and which Foods That Do Not Cause Heartburn.  Try to avoid eating spicy, acidic, greasy, and fatty foods.  All of these irritate your stomach and cause it to produce more acid.

Avoid Coffee and Carbonated Beverages

If you are needing an energy boost or help focusing, replace your daily cup of coffee with a cup of green tea.  Green tea is loaded with anti-oxidants that remove toxins and excess gas from your stomach.  If you regularly drink carbonated beverages,  try to cut back and mix in a glass of water instead.

Eat With Good Posture

If you noticed yourself slouching over while eating, try to make yourself sit up with your shoulders back.  When you slouch forward (especially when eating), the contents of your stomach can push back out the LES and into your esophagus and cause heartburn.  Sit up straight!

Eat Your Last Meal 2-3 Hours Before Bedtime

If you are a late night snacker, then this may be the cause of your heartburn.  When you go to bed with a full stomach, and are laying on your back, the food as well as acids in your stomach are more likely to seep out of your LES and into your esophagus, again causing heartburn.  If you are having trouble sleeping at night because of your heartburn, read how to Stop Heartburn At Night.

If you are like me, you have went to bed numerous times to only be waken up a few hours later by intense heartburn.  I am going to share some tips that I have learned over the years to keep myself heartburn free while I sleep.  I’m confident if you follow my advice, you will stop heartburn at night and enjoy a full nights sleep.

1. If you are not currently taking a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) daily, I highly recommend it.  Whether it is Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, etc., they are definitely worth a shot.  I used to suffer from heartburn every day and would go through bottles of Rolaids.  Once I started taking Nexium, my heartburn went away (unless I over did it with eating highly acidic foods, etc.)
2. Find which foods trigger your heartburn and try to eliminate them from your daily diet.  For a full list of foods that can cause heartburn, go to Foods That Cause Heartburn.  If you are unsure about a particular food that is not on the list and feel that it may cause heartburn, it is best to just avoid it and be safe so you do not wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn.
3. Eat healthy and consistent throughout the day.  You do not want to be hungry before going to bed and then end up eating something right before laying down and giving yourself heartburn at night.
4. Your last meal of the day should be 3 hours before you go to bed.  This helps give your stomach time to digest the foods.
5. Make your last meal of the day something simple.  You want the least amount of acid in your stomach when going to bed.
6. Use a Mattress Genie or a Sleep Wedge.  Both of these are wonderful solutions and I highly recommend at least trying one of them.  They keep your body elevated at night, thus help to keep your stomach acids in your stomach!