Yes, there are certain natural ways to cure your heartburn. The question here is do they truly work as well as antacids and/or other heartburn medication? The answer is a positive yes, and if you opt to naturally cure your heartburn, you may not have to deal with another occurrence ever again.

Fact is antacids (and medications) are simply first aid treatments to cure your heartburn. In other words, both only work temporarily, as they merely neutralize the refluxed stomach acid. However, with prolonged and/or consistent use, antacids can be harmful to your health. Hence the warning labels stating “Do not take for more than two weeks”.

Surely, natural treatments are the best ways to cure your heartburn, as they work by restoring a healthy esophagus and lower esophageal sphincter. The following are some easy remedies to naturally treat acid reflux:

• Apples. When you feel an approaching attack in progress, you should eat a slice of an apple. One good idea is to slice an apple in the morning, then stick it in a Ziploc bag to go for the rest of the day.

• Avoid hard and crunchy food for the first 2-3 days of treatment. This will give you ample time to totally heal the esophagus and sphincter. It is also advisable to eat a spoonful of honey 3 times a day for these 3 days. Honey revitalizes tissue as it contains a naturally healing compound.

• Drink plenty of water. This will help keep the lower esophageal sphincter muscle flap tightly sealed over the stomach.

• Avoid eating too much. Eating more than necessary in one sitting tends to expand your stomach. Ideally, your meals should be the same size as your clutched fist.

It is also important to educate yourself on, at least, the basics of acid reflux to have a better understanding of the condition. This way, you will have much better chances to cure your heartburn.

Now, if you want to find out how you can get rid of your heartburn naturally, just click here now.

You may recall amino acids from elementary science as “the building blocks of life.” In fact, they make up 75% of the body and are required for every chemical reaction and every bodily function. So where do they come from? Ten amino acids come from our bodies naturally (alanine, asparagines, aspartic acid, cysteine glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, praline, serine and tyrosine).

The other ten are derived from properly digested food (arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine). Unfortunately, these acids are not like our cell phone plans – they don’t roll over. We need to constantly replenish our essential amino acids supply.

When our digestion system is out of whack, we suffer in both big and small ways. Acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion can be a small – yet terribly uncomfortable – side effects of improper digestion. While it’s widely believed that acid reflux comes from overproduction of HCL acid, recent research suggests that indigestion can be caused by the contrary – underproduction!

In the case of underproduction of acid, also known as achlorhydria, undigested protein sits in our stomach, essentially rotting. Bloating, burping and discomfort ensues – sometimes forcing acid or food back up the esophagus. Disgusting, isn’t it?

If you have bad breath, burp excessively after eating, feel heavy after eating, experience nausea, diarrhea or constipation, then these may be telltale signs that food isn’t being broken down properly into the amino acids you need to feel your best.

What are some of the causes of improper digestion, abnormal levels of stomach acid and poor absorption of amino acids? As we age, stomach acid production declines. Stress, sleep deprivation, eating too fast and over-eating also contribute to acid secretion. Essentially, we’re not getting the chemical triggers we need to keep our machine well-oiled.

Drug companies like Prilosec – the top selling prescription last year — appeal to us by promising to stop acid production, even though it’s a much-needed natural process. While these drugs provide immediate, temporary relief, they still don’t attack the underlying issue – that your body simply isn’t digesting foods properly, and, as a result, can’t derive the amino acids from the food that you’ve eaten.

Body builders, senior citizens and indigestion sufferers alike add amino acids supplements to their diets. While it’s almost instinctual to take the fast track to immediate heartburn symptoms relief, many researchers warn against it.

To address the underlying problem, which is inadequate amino acids and improper digestive functioning, reflux treatment should include a healthy diet that triggers one’s natural body processes. If achieving that is difficult, then a boost of these supplements might do the trick.

I’m sure that most of you would agree that in today’s world, where we have to rush from one situation to the other, getting a properly balanced diet is somewhat impossible, and often beyond the scope of our capabilities. This can be due to many things, like insufficient time to cook a meal, insufficient restaurants around to even pop out and eat a good meal, or you’re tied down to your desk, or a multitude of other equally good reasons. If you think about it however, I’m also sure that you would agree that this is probably the leading cause for the poor digestion suffered by many people around the world today.

Bloating, constipation, and gas are a few of the more common symptoms of poor digestion. Abdominal cramping, chronic fatigue, premature aging, joint and muscle pain, arthritis, and nausea are a few more symptoms induced by poor digestion, from a list that can go on and on, and on.

If you suffer from poor digestion, you could be having one or all of these conditions and not even realize it. And from there it will just start to snowball, as you experience more discomfort, more pain, and finally succumb to a much worse condition than poor digestion.

It has been said, that poor digestion is akin to poor nutrition, where with poor digestion you might be getting the proper nutrients into your body, but your system isn’t able to absorb it. There are many contributing factors to a poor digestive system, but it has been found that processed foods can be one of the biggest factors.

And no wonder, really with the amount of ready to eat meals, and fast foods that are out there on the market, beckoning to us eagerly when we’re at most vulnerable, (read ‘irritable, tired, and hungry’ into that last sentence.)

So how do we stop poor digestion? Ideally it should be easy to stop poor digestion, and correct it so your digestive system is working again properly right? Unfortunately, this is not always true, and for some people an extensive course of medication may be required before they can fully cure their poor digestion problems.

The best course that you can take would be to consult your doctor on how to remedy your condition. Just remember that you will need to remedy it. Poor digestion takes a lot out of your body, and makes it weak, leaving it more prone to attacks from other sources.

Missing vital nutrients due to lack of proper digestion can harm your body more than you realize. So just pick up that phone, and talk to your doctor straight away. Self-diagnosis isn’t always right, and it’s always better to have a professional opinion to back you up. Listen to your body, it’s the greatest gift you could ever have, and it might just be trying to talk to you, don’t ignore it.

Recent statistics from the US Department of Health and Human Services suggest that over seven million people suffer from severe acid reflux in the U.S. alone. It is estimated that over fifteen million Americans suffer from chronic heartburn, as well.

The incidence of acid reflux is greater in people over the age of forty, but it can affect anyone, even infants. Acid reflux affects people of every age, socioeconomic class and race.

Simply put, acid reflux occurs when stomach acid splashes up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus and throat. This reflux of acid can be the result of many things including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, hiatal hernia, stress and even pregnancy. When this refluxed acid hits the tender lining of the esophagus, it causes a painful burning sensation in the chest and, or throat. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, asthma and dental erosion.

If left untreated, this condition can evolve into more severe and life threatening diseases like Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a precursor cancer. In an attempt to avoid the more serious consequences of acid reflux, people are resorting more and more to pharmaceutical drugs.

There are three classifications of drugs which treat and acid reflux. The first of these are antacids, which neutralize the acid in your stomach and are at best only a temporary fix. They are loaded with harmful ingredients such as sodium and aluminum. The next group of drugs is called H2 Blockers. They reduce the amount of acid that the stomach produces and provide longer lasting relief than antacids. Finally there are the PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors), which shut off the proton pumps in the stomach that manufacture hydrochloric acid.

PPI drugs should only be used for eight weeks, at most. It says so right on the package. Doctors certainly know this but allow if not encourage most patients to continue taking these drugs on a permanent basis.

PPI drugs actually shut down the pumps that produce the stomach acid necessary to digest and assimilate food. This is an essential function of our physical anatomy. Another point of concern is that stomach acid keeps very dangerous bacteria, which live in the stomach and intestines, in check.

There are, unfortunately, no studies that can determine the long term effects of these drugs. We do, however, know what the potential harmful side effects are and there are hundreds of them. They include: allergic reaction, back and chest pain, fatigue, fever, flu-like disorder, hypertension, constipation, GI hemorrhage, vomiting, tinnitus, anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, weight gain, arthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome, anorexia, depression, dizziness, impotence, insomnia, migraine, visual field defect, menstrual disorder, asthma aggravated, pharyngitis, acne, taste loss, fungal infection and Barrett’s esophagus just to mention a few!

The medical community would have us believe that drugs are the only answer to the problem of acid reflux. Doctors are not taught nutrition or natural healing techniques in med school. As a result they depend on prescription drugs to treat the symptoms of acid reflux disease. They unfortunately know nothing about how to cure the condition itself.

PPI drugs are very big business. Annual global sales for PPI drugs alone reached well over six billion dollars in 2002. One can only guess what those statistics are today. One can only imagine the extent of the damage these drugs are causing people all over the world.

I am happy to say that we are not limited to pharmaceuticals in order to rid ourselves of the acid reflux condition. There are many alternative techniques and procedures which can be employed to accomplish that end. As a veteran of the acid reflux drug battle, I am living proof that one can heal themselves of acid reflux by using what I call natural medicine.

When I found out that my doctor had exhausted all possibilities of helping me, outside of the PPI drug regime, I knew that I was on my on. I had to heal myself. To my surprise, through research and study, I found that curing acid reflux disease is really quite simple.

With a few modest changes in lifestyle and with the help of several natural remedies, one can absolutely win the battle against acid reflux without the use of drugs.

There are many natural ingredients found in any health store, which can help during the acid reflux recovery period. Herbs, such as marshmallow, slippery elm and bladderwrack have wonderful healing properties. Aloe vera, licorice and natural honey can sooth the esophagus and assist in the healing process. Chewing gum between meals actually neutralizes stomach acid.

There are many simple things which contribute to the acid reflux condition which most people overlook; insufficient water consumption is one of them. Eating too rapidly and chewing food improperly is another.

Eating smaller, more frequent meals is helpful. Substituting Kukicha Twig tea for coffee makes the body more alkaline. Have fruit, like bananas and melons instead of cereal for breakfast. Snacks of walnuts, almonds and more fruit will keep you going throughout the day. At dinner eat lightly and at least two hours before retiring. You certainly don’t have to starve yourself, but try to stay away from those acid reflux “trigger” foods.

It does take a new approach to life, in general, to heal a stubborn acid reflux condition. Think of it as an exciting challenge. You will feel so much better and your health will improve. It will have been worth the effort.

In a society where convenience sometimes takes precedence over common sense, pills have taken the place of ancient healing techniques and natural therapies. Drugs taken on a regular basis can be more dangerous than the illness itself.

Take command of your health and use natural resources to free yourself of those acid reflux drugs.

© 2006 Wind Publishing

For free recipes, articles and information, visit: http://www.refluxgoneforever.com

Heart burn is caused by stomach acid leaking into the lower throat or esophagus. How to get rid of heart burn symptoms or the burning sensation that you feel in your throat or chest varies depending on the severity and the cause. Many different things can lead to heartburn. Here we look at the things that may lead to heart burn and ways to get rid of it.

An antacid or over the counter product usually works quickly to relieve the burning sensation. Herbal remedies such as fennel oil and other drops may also work quickly. Home remedies such as chewing on a chilled chunk of rhubarb or eating a bite of ice cream works for some people. If you have prolonged heartburn that does not respond to over the counter remedies, you may need a prescription medication to prevent heartburn.

Heartburn is often caused by eating acidic foods. Tomatoes or tomato products, as well as citrus fruits may lead to heartburn. One quick way that may get rid of heartburn after eating lasagna, spaghetti, pizza or other similar foods, is to try a peppermint. Peppermint oil is one ingredient that is found in several over the counter antacids and anti-gas products.

The most sensible thing to do is to control and change the diet – including your mode of eating and so on. Getting rid of heartburn and doing so fast requires you know it’s root cause otherwise you may end up either fighting off the wrong thing or altogether applying ineffective means. Heartburn is primarily caused by a reflux – an acid reflux – a situation where the stomach acid backs up and comes in contact with the lining of the esophagus.

Many people out there try treating their heartburn with over the counter medicines, such as antacids. While these do work for a certain period of time, they do nothing more than mask the symptoms temporarily. Eventually, the heartburn returns over and over throughout your daily life. It almost seems like there never is a certain way that you can get rid of heartburn, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Heartburn can have several causes. The first of which is irritable bowl syndrome, which is where the body rejects or has a reaction to certain types of food. The most common foods that are known as problem foods are the greasy foods, the high salt foods, and the spicy foods. These often cause gastrointestinal problems and can result in heartburn. Heartburn can also be caused by obesity.

Another type of medication worth trying is a histamine blocker. Histamine is a chemical which promotes the production of acids. Therefore, histamine blockers act by stopping the actions of histamine. It will take thirty to ninety minutes to feel their effects. The effects will only last for six to twenty-four hours. If you are suffering from serious cases of acid reflux, you are recommended to take two doses

H-2-receptor blockers. Over-the-counter H-2-receptor blockers, such as cimetidine (Tagamet HB), famotidine (Pepcid AC), nizatidine (Axid AR) or ranitidine (Zantac 75), are available at half the strength of their prescription versions. Instead of neutralizing the acid, these medications reduce the production of acid. They don’t act as quickly as antacids, but they provide longer relief. Take these medications before a meal that you think may cause heartburn because it takes them about 30 minutes to work. They’re also effective in reducing reflux at night if taken at bedtime. Some H-2-receptor blockers can cause infrequent side effects, including dizziness, diarrhea, headache, kidney problems and temporary breast enlargement in men. In rare instances they can also react dangerously with other medications.

Elevation of the upper body at night generally is recommended for all patients with GERD. Nevertheless, most patients with GERD have reflux only during the day and elevation at night is of little benefit for them. It is not possible to know for certain which patients will benefit from elevation at night unless acid testing clearly demonstrates night reflux. However, patients who have heartburn, regurgitation, or other symptoms of GERD at night are probably experiencing reflux at night and definitely should use upper body elevation. Reflux also occurs less frequently when patients lie on their left rather than their right sides.

Patients with mild symptoms are treated as needed with non-prescription remedies like antacids, a non-prescription H2 blocker, or the non-prescription proton pump inhibitor (PPI), omeprazole (brand name: Prilosec OTC). For patients with more severe symptoms, or for those who do not respond adequately to non-prescription therapies, continuous treatment with a prescription-strength H2 blocker or PPI is recommended. H2 blockers and PPIs both work by decreasing the production of stomach acid that causes many of the symptoms of gerd.

Decreasing the size of portions at mealtime may also help control symptoms. Eating meals at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime may lessen reflux by allowing the acid in the stomach to decrease and the stomach to empty partially. In addition, being overweight often worsens symptoms. Many overweight people find relief when they lose weight.

Treatment for GERD and heartburn ranges from over-the-counter remedies to surgery. Here’s a rundown on the pros and cons of your heartburn treatment options.

Pay Close Attention to Your Diet—Foods and drinks that aggravate GERD include spicy foods, acid based foods, greasy foods, alcohol, and caffeine. Before you bite into that pizza or fried chicken, think about how you are going to feel a couple of hours from now. Before you drink those beers, followed by that cup of coffee, think about the last time you did that and were up all night. If you are suicidal and enjoy great pain, drink that big glass or orange juice on an empty stomach. Sometimes changing your diet can be the key in controlling acid reflux.

Whereas the stomach has a protective lining so that it doesn’t succumb to the acid, the esophagus has no such lining. That’s why upwardly mobile stomach acid burns, sometimes so badly that you may think you’re suffering a heart attack.

Medications ranging from over-the-counter antacids to prescription drugs are used to treat acid reflux. Find out what your options are and which are best for you.

Heartburn happens to people once in a while, and keeping it away or reducing its occurrence requires a degree of discipline and determination. After all, even the most effective natural treatment for heartburn amounts to nothing if the simplest tips are not followed correctly and religiously.

Heartburn is caused due to stomach acid spilling into the esophagus and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. There are quite a few causes of the problem, and the treatment has to be an integrated approach. As the problem involves the digestive system, eating habits are the major cause.

Marshmallow root tea has an ingredient that soothes the linings of the esophagus, bringing you relief. A serving of up to three cups a day usually does the trick.

Heartburn, in itself, is easy to define. It is basically regurgitated gastric acid. That acid, once it is in the esophagus causes the burning pain that you feel. It can also do some serious damage, and if allowed to go on for a long time the damage can be permanent. Although heartburn is heartburn what are the things that cause it? Well there are plenty of them and they vary from person to person. Sometimes it is something like smoking or drinking (alcohol). Other times it is things that you eat, such as fatty foods or dry foods, sweets or coffee. There are about as many different things that can cause heartburn as there are people that have the problem.

Acid reflux is caused by a damaged or weakened lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and a strained esophagus. The LES is a muscle flap that is directly above the stomach and is responsible for keeping food and stomach acid in your stomach. However, over time and abuse, you can weaken or damage the LES which will eventually leak or reflux stomach acid

This common natural remedy has even been found in pyramids dating 3,000 years back! Obviously, honey has been around forever but did you know that there are unexplainable healing powers in honey. Honey has been shown to increase cell reproduction which could cause the esophagus and LES to fully heal. We recommend taking 2-3 teaspoons daily.

Second is to avoid alcoholic drinks. If you want the natural treatment for heartburn to work, stay away from drinks that contain alcohol such as beer and other alcoholic beverages. Treatment of heartburn in a natural way also involves staying away from acidic drinks such as orange and lemon juices. Also, avoid carbonated beverages and sodas.

The fourth way of applying natural treatment for heartburn, and particularly interesting, is to stop smoking. Treating heartburn the natural way requires the elimination, not only of smoking but also of products that contain high levels of caffeine. This means removing smoking from one’s habits, and reducing if not eliminating consumption of things such as coffee.

This year, 15 million Americans will suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. It may start with a particularly uncomfortable burp and leave a restricted feeling in the chest. Some will toss and turn at night, coughing and inhaling excess acid.

The next day, they’ll feel lethargic and asthmatic. Symptoms of acid reflux may be indicative of bigger problems like a poor diet, lactose intolerance or digestive failure. Treatments for acid reflux vary, but the good news is that it’s not something with which one has to suffer.

If you want to find the best treatment for acid reflux, then change a few bad habits. Most people don’t realize that all the kitchen cleaning after the meal contributes to acid reflux, or that laying down within three hours after eating can create a whole world of problems.

More than half of the people who suffer from chronic heartburn also have some form of “supine reflux,” which affects people in their sleep. For supine acid reflux sufferers, the symptoms can sometimes be subtle. They may toss and turn, have difficulty breathing, sweat profusely, have coughing fits and wake up feeling hoarse (from breathing in the stomach acids).

Most people also know that greasy and fatty foods are terrible for the digestive tract. Often the stomach needs to produce more acid to break down the greasy layers and protein-based food. Then, on top of that, some fatty foods are simply insoluble and they putrefy in the stomach, rotting and causing a build-up of “unpleasantries,” from gas to reflux.

It can be shocking to people when they’ve been able to eat certain foods their entire lives but as they age, those same foods become a problem. Citrus fruits like oranges, tomatoes, spearmint, peppers and red wine can all be nasty triggers for attacks.

The most common treatments are antacids. This heartburn medication will help sufferers treat the immediate symptoms of acid reflux for fast-acting relief. Hardcore antacids include Reglan and Gaviscon, which aim to improve overall digestive coordination, speeding up the digestive process and creating foam barriers to prevent acid from seeping up unexpectedly. There are often over-the-counter options that work just fine or prescription-based variants for the people with severe GERD symptoms.

The second category of heartburn medication is the Histamine 2 Receptors. Histamine 2 Receptors, like Pepcid AC or Zantac, work by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach, which is sometimes cited as a contributing factor.

For preventative measures, a third treatment includes Proton Pump Inhibitors, which suppresses excessive acid production during those big feasts. Drugs like Prilosec or Nexium are said to work best.

For the occasional sufferer, any drug store will carry a calcium carbonate like Tums, Rolaids or Maalox. These bind to and neutralize acid for immediate reprieve. A fourth treatment are the effervescent products (like Alkaseltzer), which comes in handy when that restrictive feeling in the chest and intense abdominal pain signals real digestive trouble.

While these methods might seem easy enough, the best treatment for acid reflux is to amend one’s diet and attack the culprit behind the heartburn symptoms. Occasionally, one will suffer heartburn because there is actually a lack of stomach acids and the necessary chemical triggers don’t signal the pancreas or the intestines to help out in the transport of waste and the absorption of nutrients. Spicy foods shouldn’t be a deal-breaker if one’s diet is packed with Omega-6, Omega-3, vitamins, minerals and leafy greens!

There are many hundreds probably millions of heartburn remedies on the market which are easily purchased over the counter at a drug store or even in the supermarket. For more severe cases medication is available on prescription from your doctor.

When you feel the fire in your chest don’t lay down on your back that will only make you feel worse, sit up. Wait a couple hours before you lay down because by that time the food had a chance to settle down. I chew gum all the time so when I feel heartburn that helps relieve the pain. When you chew more that produced more saliva which in turn will push the acids down the esophagus.

Natural remedies for heartburn include fennel and peppermint, however, some doctors advise against peppermint, saying it brings on heartburn in some people. Fennel seeds can be seeped in water to create a soothing tea. Fennel is an ingredient in many products sold by companies that sell natural remedies for heartburn and other conditions. Peppermint oil listed is an ingredient in some over the counter medicines for heartburn and indigestion. Fennel seeds and peppermint have been used by Native Americans and Europeans as natural remedies for heartburn.

A few folks feel that holding a food diary that data track the nutrients consumed and enters acid reflux symptoms will assist finding the cause. Though it may work, it is time consuming and most people just won’t spare the time to do it. In this case, you might want to consult a herbalist that can tell you immediately which types of food to avoid.

Pineapples are a storehouse of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that breaks down proteins. Pineapples facilitated digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux. It is reported that using fresh pineapple provides better results.

Licorice as mentioned above has long been used to treat the symptoms of heartburn. Sold in health food stores as DGL deglycyrhizinated licorice) it comes in the form of gum, chewable tablets or powder. The powder or tablets are usually dissolved in warm water, and then this composition is drunk. Again this remedy is usually most effective when taken as a preventative on a daily basis. As with all licorice it can temporarily raise your blood pressure.

Mixed with a little water and lemon juice, baking soda can quickly counteract the extra acid in your stomach, bringing you quick relief. The thing to be aware of though is that it contains a lot of sodium. If you have high blood pressure or are otherwise on a low sodium diet, you might want to try other alternatives until you have a chance to discuss this one with your doctor.

Heartburn and pregnancy go hand in hand because of the hormonal and physiological changes that a pregnant woman undergoes. When a woman is pregnant, her abdomen has more pressure, forcing the acids to go upwards to the esophagus and the throat.

Another reason is because of the increase of hormones in a woman’s body, resulting to the softening of the ligaments which keep the lower esophagus muscles closed. Softened ligaments will result to a relaxed LES, causing gastric juices to come through.

If you are pregnant and you want to avoid heartburn, there are many practical tips to follow. Here are some of them:

1. Avoid smoking. Nicotine is found to weaken the LES, so stop smoking. Moreover, it is not really good for your health and your baby’s.

2. Don’t wear tight clothes and belts. Tight apparels and tight objects around the waist will only add more pressure around the abdomen, pushing the stomach contents upwards.

3. Don’t lie down after eating. Wait for at least two hours before you lie down, to ensure that the stomach acids will stay where they should be.

4. Maintain a healthy weight. Too much weight will only increase more pressure on the stomach, making the acids go to the esophagus.

5. Avoid foods that cause the LES to relax. These include fatty food, tomato-based products, citrus fruits and juices, alcoholic drinks, high fat butter and cream, greasy food and caffeine.

6. You are advised to eat low fat food and more vegetables, since these are the ones that are not heartburn triggers.

If your heartburn persists, you should visit a doctor to help treat your condition.

For more heartburn tips, visit my blog. You should read the book that taught thousands get rid of their condition naturally. It’s in my byline so check it out.