Despite the name, heartburn is not associated with the heart. Heartburn is linked to a digestive disorder that occurs when the lining of the esophagus has been in touch with stomach acids, thus causing irritation.
At the stomach-entrance is a muscle that blocks acids from reaching the esophagus by closing off after food is consumed. Heartburn occurs when the esophagus doesn’t fully contract, and the muscle is incapable of tightening up ultimately, thus allowing acids to back up.
Our digestive system is pretty big, larger than what we would actually imagine. If you were to separate it completely, it would even out to be nearly 30 feet. So that means that anything passed through our lips has to make the whole way in the 30-foot long digestive tract. It’s crucial to note that every part of our digestive system has an important role to play, like our stomach; for example, it cuts down food by combining it with enzymes and acids. The small intestine carries good bacteria; most of us know very well about good bacteria ( we covered it in previous articles). They help us in digesting food and absorbing it for delivery into the bloodstream. The large intestine takes the waters and salts out of your food. It also requires good bacteria to break down any unprocessed material that may be leftover.
So even if, one section of your digestive system is not working correctly, you will end up experiencing it through some form of digestive disorder; generally, it is heartburn.
Here are a few ways you can manage heartburn:
- Juices: Intake of fresh juices of veggies like radish, beetroot, carrots, and cucumber could take the acid inside the stomach due to their alkaline nature. Feel free to add a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper for flavor.
- Sitting: Maintain an upright position, no matter how bad you feel during heartburn. If you’re standing, gravity helps to keep acid in your stomach. Keep yourself away from bending over after a heavy meal, and don’t lie down for at least an hour.
- Ginger and Water: Add a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to a cup of lukewarm water if available, sheer for 10 minutes, and drink.
- Saliva: Have on a small portion of sugar-free gum, or have buttery new potatoes or juicy steaks – whatever it takes to get you to create and swallow extra saliva. Saliva helps to offset stomach acid.
- Aloe Vera: Aloe vera can be just as influential on the inside as outside our bodies. For many centuries, people have been consuming aloe vera and realizing the health benefits from it, including quick relief from heartburn. Others have found it may be beneficial for detoxifying the body, cleansing the colon, improving circulation and digestion, curing small ulcers, and filtering the bloodstream. It is also said that aloe vera juice may be beneficial for a person experiencing stomach or intestinal problems. Aloe Vera may also support the digestive tract to work smoothly.
- Bicarbonate: Mac a tsp of bicarbonate with a couple of drops of lemon juice in a cup of lukewarm water. Please don’t take the diluted bicarbonate directly: you need the lemon juice to dismiss some of the gas which bicarbonate produces in the stomach when it comes into contact with stomach acid.
- Water: Drink lots of water after every meal; make sure that you can tolerate it to avoid acid reflux/heartburn from happening. The water will push the acid back down your esophagus and into your stomach.
