A bout of heartburn is one of the most common occurrences during pregnancy. Though it’s really uncomfortable, heartburn doesn’t have any serious repercussions or negative effects on the development and growth of the fetus. Heartburn, which is another name for indigestion, is basically a burning sensation which rises from the stomach to the throat. Sometimes, it can also be felt around the lower part of the chest. Sometimes you may feel that the food is making a return journey back to your mouth- and there could be a bitter or sour after taste. During pregnancy, nearly 50% of the women experience heartburn.

However you can curb heartburn to an extent during pregnancy by following a smart diet- following are some tips to help you:-

• Rich and fried foods which are high in fat should be avoided. E.g. Fries or large helpings of ice-creams, sweets or desserts should be avoided.

• Avoid spicy food. Therefore limit your binging on Tortillas or Nachos and all those yummy but tangy foods (Think Mexican, think Thai).

• Grapefruit juice or orange juice can also create havoc with your system. So steer clear of them. Try milk or apple juice.

• Chocolates, soft drinks, coffee and caffeine laced food should be cut down upon.

• Try to have little snacks at small intervals rather than large heavy meals. Large meals tend to be heavier on the stomach and create built up of unwanted and unnecessary acids. Smaller meals when taken at regular intervals help in keeping the calorie intake high, which is needed for pregnancy. At the same time undue strain on the digestive system is avoided.

• Try and stay away from late night munching. You should let some hours pass after your dinner and then hit the bed. Lying down on a full stomach is not a good idea.

• Refrain from gobbling your food- even if it happens to be your most favorite food. Food should be eaten slowly and chewed properly.

• Don’t forget to drink ample water.

• Exercise! It aides digestion, which means lesser chances of indigestion or heartburn.

If possible don’t resort to any medications when you are experiencing heartburn. However, if you absolutely must- consult your doctor/gynecologist first.

Ultimately it all depends on what you eat and at what time. And try to sleep early as this will prevent you from creeping into the kitchen for some midnight snacking! So don’t forget this and stick to your routine.

For similar articles or information regarding pregnancy, parenting or baby care check http://www.babylife.org.

Heartburn relief is sought by the millions of people worldwide who experience the pain and discomfort of acid reflux. For the occasional and mild cases of heartburn, over the counter antacids may be sufficient to bring rapid relief. In severe cases, these antacids may be insufficient.

After dismissing the first few episodes of heartburn, all sufferers will consider the various heartburn remedies available. These can range from simple lifestyle and dietary changes to natural remedies to advanced pharmaceutical options. Information about these options can help one make the appropriate choices to get prompt relief.

Simple Heartburn Remedies

For the occasional heartburn episode, simple remedies will suffice. Understanding what triggers and why heartburns occur is the first step. The simple treatment plan for heartburn remedies involves a lot of common sense.

Since acid reflux is the main issue, attempts to dilute the acids should be taken first. This can be as simple as drinking a glass of water. Another simple thing to do is to chew gum. Chewing gum stimulates the generation of saliva which helps to neutralize the gastric acids.

The next most important step is to avoid foods and drinks that trigger heartburn. The common foods and drinks to avoid include the following:

1. Spicy dishes like those found in Indian and Mexican diets

2. Tomato rich dishes like those found in Italian pastas and pizzas

3. Chocolates, Donuts, Creamy desserts

4. Citrus based fruits and desserts; containing oranges and lemons

5. Certain forms of potatoes: mashed potatoes and French fries

6. Raw Onions

7. Caffeinated drinks, Alcoholic beverages

8. Some dairy products: sour cream, ice cream and cottage cheese

This is a common option to consider amongst the various heartburn remedies.

The pain of heartburn is usually at its worst when a sufferer lies down to sleep. The acid reflux unimpeded by gravity since the body is prone, regurgitates more caustic acids from the stomach thereby burning the esophagus and possibly the throat. The first thing to note is to avoid eating just before bedtime. As part of the common heartburn remedies to consider, have a reasonable sized meal avoiding the aforementioned foods and drinks at least two hours before bedtime. Next sleep with the head and upper torso raised – use additional pillows or raise the headboard. These two suggestions should help the heartburn sufferer get a more restful night’s sleep.

Heartburn Remedies: The Pharmaceutical Options

In the case of people who suffer from chronic or a severe form of heartburn, medical practitioners will be able to suggest a course of treatment to bring about heartburn relief. Apart from lifestyle changes, certain medications may be part of the treatment plan.

H2-Receptor Blockers is a class of heartburn relief medication that reduces the secretion of acids in the stomach largely by blocking the actions of histamines. This type of medication has been around from the 1960s and was developed to bring relief for various ailments like heartburn, stomach ulcers and dyspepsia.

A distinct advantage of using H2-receptor blockers is that it can be taken before a meal to suppress the buildup of stomach acids and brings about heartburn relief for a chronic sufferer. An additional advantage is that the palliative impact of the medication lasts for than 6 hours. The heartburn symptoms are avoided and the singed esophagus gets an opportunity to gradually heal; especially in the case of chronic heartburn patients.

Currently, the most preferred medication; beating H2 receptor blockers, is another class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors. Proton pump inhibitors work in a similar way to bring about heartburn relief but only more effectively. These drugs halt the secretion of enzyme generation in the gastric cells, instead of merely inhibiting the catalysts that cause the generation.

The inert inhibitors only become active when they enter the stomach. They block the generation of the caustic stomach acids and help the sufferer begin his or her road to heartburn relief. The proton pump inhibitors continue to work for more than two days.

Before any drugs are taken for heartburn relief, it is important to seek medical help to confirm the symptoms and the right dosages. While several options are available, it would be useful to note that the use of proton pump inhibitors have largely over taken the use of h2-receptor blockers in the treatment of chronic heartburn.

Heartburn can arise from several causes. The medical condition pyrosis or commonly known as heartburn, results from a reflux of the acidic contents of the stomach. This acidic regurgitation burns the inner walls of the esophagus and the sufferer experiences a searing or burning pain. Since this pain is felt around the chest area, people often mistake it for the onset of a heart attack.

Although the common name for this ailment is heartburn, the condition has nothing to do with the heart. It has earned it’s moniker due to the fact that the burning pain is felt around the heart. People who suffer from some heart conditions may describe similar sensations.

The Impact of Certain Foods On Heartburn

The first dietary step to stop heartburn is to control the amount of food consumed. The intake of fats in large meals is high. These remain in the bloated stomach for a long time to be digested. The stomach is unable to contain its acidic contents and some escape as acid reflux. Take smaller sized meals up to five times a day, rather than the traditional three larger ones.

Knowing which foods and drinks to avoid help one from future episodes of heartburn. If this is done consistently, it may be possible to completely stop heartburn.

The common foods and drinks to avoid include the following:

1. Spicy dishes like those found in Indian and Mexican diets

2. Tomato rich dishes like those found in Italian pastas and pizzas

3. Chocolates, Donuts, Creamy desserts

4. Citrus based fruits and desserts; containing oranges and lemons

5. Certain forms of potatoes: mashed potatoes and French fries

6. Raw Onions

7. Caffeinated drinks, Alcoholic beverages

8. Some dairy products: sour cream, ice cream and cottage cheese

Smoking has been found to weaken the esophageal sphincter muscle that keeps a lid on the stomach’s caustic contents. Smoking is a key risk factor that causes acid reflux.

Taking certain foods as part of one’s diet is a good ingredient of a natural cure for heartburn. These include fruits like bananas and apples. Other suitable food choices are lean beef and chicken. Whole grains should be an important component of a diet as part of a natural cure for heartburn. Drinking adequate amounts of water also helps to dilute the caustic acids secreted by the stomach.

Heartburn Treatment Options

A heartburn sufferer’s agony is exacerbated when he or she lies down during a pyrosis episode. The best approach to relieve the pain is to take an antacid and lie down with the torso raised – either with pillows or by raising the bed’s headboard. The best approach is to avoid eating meals rich in heartburn inducing food and drinks too close to bedtime.

Medications can be a suitable alternative if preventive measures to thwart heartburn fail. Doctors will be able to prescribe suitable treatments to quell the discomfort. These may include antacids, proton pump inhibitors and h2-receptor antagonists. For those who suffer from mild forms of heartburn, antacids and other neutralizing medications are the most effective forms of treatment.

Proton pump inhibitors are usually used when antacids and other neutralizing agents are ineffective to treat heartburn. These inhibitors block the production of acids in the stomach cells and provide instant relief. Once the inhibitors reach the stomach, it disables the “protein proton pumps”, which control the stomach’s pH levels.

Another course of treatment for heartburn is h2-receptor antagonists. H2-receptor antagonists work by decreasing the acid production of “parietal cells” in the stomach. These are however rarely used today due to the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors.

Heartburn sufferers who prefer not to consider pharmaceutical options as their first choice can consider holistic and natural therapies. Stressful lifestyles can be moderated through meditation and yoga. In 90% of heartburn sufferers, inappropriate food and drinks have been found to be the main culprits.

There are other remedies that are natural cures for heartburn. Heartburn sufferers can take peppermint in forms like peppermint tea, which has properties that ameliorate heartburn symptoms. Likewise, apple cider vinegar is another well known natural cure for heartburn. Other items to consider especially as snacks to be taken several times during the day include almonds, dried figs and papaya.

There are several ways to stop heartburn with the use of natural and pharmaceutical products. The ultimate goal to stop heartburn should be from temporary episodes to permanent relief. Natural methods to stop heartburn include making dietary and lifestyle changes and taking natural products to relieve the symptoms. The most common method today is to pop a couple of antacid tablets to quickly dilute the acids regurgitated from the stomach. Antacids have been found to work best for stress-related heartburns.

For people who suffer from frequent heartburn, they need to transition their treatment from using antacids and other medications to making the necessary changes to eventually stop heartburn. Ninety percent of heartburn episodes are triggered by the foods and drinks one consumes during a meal; especially the last meal before bedtime.

The first dietary step to stop heartburn is to control the amount of food consumed. The intake of fats in large meals is high. These remain in the bloated stomach for a long time to be digested. The stomach is unable to contain its acidic contents and some escape as acid reflux. This acid burns the sensitive inside walls of the esophagus resulting in the heartburn symptoms. Since these symptoms are felt in the chest area, many people are frightened that they may be feeling the onset of a heart attack. In summary, take smaller sized meals up to five times a day, rather than the traditional three larger ones.

Foods To Avoid To Stop Heartburn

Knowing which foods and drinks to avoid help one from future episodes of heartburn. If this is done consistently, it may be possible to completely stop heartburn.

The common foods and drinks to avoid include the following:

1. Spicy dishes like those found in Indian and Mexican diets

2. Tomato rich dishes like those found in Italian pastas and pizzas

3. Chocolates, Donuts, Creamy desserts

4. Citrus based fruits and desserts; containing oranges and lemons

5. Certain forms of potatoes: mashed potatoes and French fries

6. Raw Onions

7. Caffeinated drinks, Alcoholic beverages

8. Some dairy products: sour cream, ice cream and cottage cheese

Smoking has been found to weaken the esophageal sphincter muscle that keeps a lid on the stomach’s caustic contents. Smoking is key risk factor that causes acid reflux.

There are several steps that can be taken to put a stop to heartburn. Sensible lifestyle and dietary changes can be made to reduce heartburn symptoms. Some medications like antacids can bring about quick heartburn relief. A consistent treatment plan will help the sufferer put a stop to heartburn.

Vitamins For Heartburn

There are certain vitamins and minerals if taken may help the body recover from heartburn. However, the use of vitamins for heartburn treatment would only be effective if other essential lifestyle and dietary changes are made.

Seek Medical Advice Before Using Vitamins for Heartburn

In general, taking vitamins to supplement heartburn treatments should not require prior medical advice. However, to ensure that the right vitamins are being considered in the right doses, discuss these with your doctor. In rare cases, some vitamins taken in the wrong doses may result in adverse reactions and aggravate heartburn.

If one is looking for a vitamin for heartburn, then Vitamin C is a good candidate. Vitamin C taken twice daily of between 250 milligrams to 500 milligrams each time has been found to keep stomach acidity in check and therefore heartburn.

The body’s ability to maintain optimum pH levels in the stomach allows the effective digestion of food consumed and readily releases vitamins from food sources. Vitamins like B-12 prevent and remove bacterial outbreaks in the stomach. The optimum pH level of 3.0 or less stimulates the release of vitamins for heartburn relief.

If a health supplement containing vitamin B, choline, thiamin and pantothenic acid is taken regularly, heartburn may be cured within a month and the painful symptoms are likely to disappear gradually.

If 500 milligrams of vitamin B1, known also as thiamin, is taken in the morning before breakfast, heartburn symptoms may be relieved. For chronic cases, the combination of vitamins B1, B5 and choline will aid in heartburn relief. In summary, there are vitamins for heartburn that can be taken to rid of the painful and discomforting symptoms.