November 2009 Archives

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You’re eating a hearty meal, when suddenly you feel this burning sensation rising from your stomach and up towards your chest and neck. You may be having heartburn, which is brought about by acid reflux. But why does this happen, and what causes acid reflux? To know more about acid reflux cause and some natural remedies, continue reading the text below. When you eat, the food you intake travels from your mouth to your esophagus and to your stomach. Your stomach naturally produces acids to help digest the food you take in. Its lining also has its own means to protect itself from the gastric juices it produces. However, the esophagus does not have a protective lining against stomach acids. Fortunately, the esophageal sphincter is there to keep the acids in the stomach from going up the esophagus. Located at the end of the esophagus and the opening of the stomach, it acts as a guard or a gate that prevents acids from climbing up the esophagus. However, when this muscle is weakened, gastric juices can escape from the stomach and go upwards, which is an acid reflux cause. There are many home remedies you can try to treat acid reflux. One of which is to take in an apple cider vinegar solution made of 1 to 2 teaspoons of ACV and ½ glass of water. You can also try using rice vinegar. But perhaps prevention still remains to be the greatest cure. To avoid getting acid reflux, avoid foods that are known to trigger the onset of acid reflux. These foods include spicy foods, fatty foods, citrus fruits, alcohol, and caffeine. Keeping a log book or a food diary will help you keep track of which types of food to avoid. Chewing food properly before you swallow will also help avoid acid reflux. Saliva contains enzymes that help in the breaking down of food and will start the digestion process properly. Acid reflux may be bothersome especially if you experience it frequently. Although the main acid reflux cause is the weakening of the esophageal sphincter, there are underlying reasons and causes that lead to such condition. If symptoms persist, it’s wise to consult your health care provider immediately.

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Heartburn, contrary to what the name implies, doesn’t actually involve the heart, but the upper region of your digestive system. It is the burning sensation one feels when gastric acids in the stomach rise up into the unprotected esophagus due to acid reflux. It can be bothersome and a rather painful experience, and fortunately there are a lot of ways to prevent and treat heartburn. If you are not comfortable with using prescription drugs for heartburn, you can go for herbal heartburn treatment.

Normally, your stomach produces acids to help digest the food you take in. To safeguard the stomach from the acids that it produces, its walls are lined with protective mucus. Unfortunately, the esophagus does not have this feature. It relies on the esophageal sphincter, a muscle located at the mouth of the stomach, to keep the gastric juices from going up the esophagus. When this muscle weakens, acids from the stomach can seep through the esophagus, causing the burning sensation which is heartburn.

If you want to avoid using drugs and other medication which may cause side effects, herbal heartburn treatment is an alternative. BBC News reports that researchers from Korea may have found an herbal treatment to heartburn in the form of Artemesia asiatica, or wormwood. The treatment worked positively in treating heartburn in a group of rats. However, this still does not go to show that it will work as well in humans.

If you want heartburn treatment that can be found within your kitchen, you can try snacking on celery, which is known to aid digestion and relieve muscle spasm. It works well in treating acid conditions like heartburn and gout.

Fennel is also something you can try, which brings wonders to your digestive tract as it helps relieve abdominal pain, gastrointestinal tract spasms, and heartburn.

But perhaps the best heartburn treatment is still prevention, and you can do so by avoiding foods that trigger acid reflux. Some of which include citrus fruits, meats, alcohol and caffeine, dairy foods, sweet and fatty foods, and some spices. Stick to a well planned diet and herbal treatment combination and you may just bid heartburn goodbye.