Home remedies for heartburn and acidity

Heartburn is a painful, burning feeling in your chest or throat that occurs due to the regurgitation of stomach acid into your esophagus. Although this may indicate a hazardous underlying condition like GERD and hiatus hernia; most of the times it occurs due to improper food consumption and lifestyle habits. However, the good news is that with a little change in your daily habits and some simple natural home remedies; you can easily combat this condition and avoid the uncomfortable burning sensation. Today, we bring you a list of some home-remedies right from your own kitchen to give you instant relief. Add spice to your life: These traditional spices have been used in Indian society for a long time to provide instant relief from acidity and indigestion. According to Chris D. Meletis' "Complete Guide to Safe Herbs", spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger help inhibit the occurrence of heartburn due to the presence of volatile oils. These oils reportedly increase the flow of gastric juices in the stomach. Besides this, they also have carminative and anti-spasmodic properties that provide relief from heartburn associated with flatulence. Right after-meal body posture: There is a close association between body postures and acidity, particularly before going to bed. According to Mayo Clinic, if you frequently experience heartburns during the night or while asleep, it is advisable to put gravity to work for you. Always place your head at a higher level than the rest of your body while sleeping. This can be achieved by elevating the headboard side of the bed thereby letting your head be at an elevation. You can also add wedges between your mattress and box spring. Apart from this, it is best to wait for a minimum of 1-2 hours after a meal to go to bed. Frequent apple consumption: An easy and effective way to neutralize the acidic stomach contents is by eating apples; either fresh or in the form of desserts. You can also prepare this simple remedy of apple honey where you peel and slice a number of fresh apples and simmer with a little water for 3-4 hours. As the mixture gets thick and brown, place it inside the refrigerator and have a few spoons whenever you feel the need. Apart from apples, a mixture of honey and cinnamon can also be used as an effective heartburn treatment remedy. Home-made antacids: Instead of opting for prescription and over-the-counter drugs, you can also prepare your own home-antacid with a few simple ingredients. In half glass of water, add half teaspoon of baking soda and use as an instant remedy. However, avoid this if you experience any kind of nausea, gas, stomach cramps or distention. Alternately, you can also use a mixture of half teaspoon of tartar cream with half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. Avoid smoking: Avoid any kind of nicotine products like cigarettes if you are experiencing frequent heartburns and acidity. This is primarily due to the fact that nicotine affects and irritates the valve between the stomach and esophagus leading to heartburns. Moreover, these products also weaken a person's nervous system. Ultimately, this leads to improper functioning of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestine. The right drink: To avoid these conditions, it is important to slow down on soda, alcohol and caffeine containing beverages. Recent researches have indicated that the oils contained in caffeinated products may play a role in heartburn. Besides this, alcohol consumption makes the condition worse as it increases the production of stomach acids. Moreover, it relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter to allow the stomach contents to reflux back into the esophagus. Stress and acidity: Have you ever experienced frequent symptoms of acidity while studying during examinations. This is probably due to the fact that stress and strain act as major acidity triggers. Stress causes the inhibition of vagus nerve leading to the formation of hydrochloric acids (stomach acids).