Heartburn is a common occurrence experienced by about 60 million Americans at least once a month, with millions suffering from it every day.

Despite its name, heartburn doesn’t affect or have something to do with your heart. It got its name due to the burning pain or sensation that many sufferers experience in their chest area.

Although heartburn isn’t really concerning, people who suffer frequently from it should consider getting a checkup with their doctor. Heartburn can also be very uncomfortable and can disrupt a lot of people’s daily routines. 

If you have heartburn, consider doing the tips mentioned below to get relief from this annoying condition.

Take A Non-Prescription Medication

The first thing you can do to address heartburn is to take non-prescription medication. Non-prescription medications are medicines you can purchase over-the-counter and don’t need a prescription from your doctor.

Your options for a non-prescription medicine you can take for your heartburn are:

• Antacid
• H2 Blocker
• Proton Pump Inhibitor

Antacids help neutralize stomach acid and will provide quick relief from its symptoms. However, antacids can’t help heal damage to your esophagus caused by stomach acid.

The next option that you have is the H2 Blockers. H2 Blockers help in reducing stomach acid. Keep in mind that H2 Blockers don’t work as quickly as antacids, but this option can provide you with longer relief. Examples of H2 Blockers that you can take for your heartburn are cimetidine and famotidine.

Lastly is the proton pump inhibitor. This option also helps reduce stomach acid for four to 12 weeks, enough time to allow your esophageal tissue to heal. So, this option could benefit you if you already feel pain in your esophagus, as this indicates that you’re already suffering from damage.

The market has many options for proton pump inhibitors for heartburn, but Prilosec is the most popular one. Prilosec is a generic name of the drug. You will see numerous names under this generic name, but all are the same.

If you have constant heartburn, it’s best that you keep stock of this over-the-counter medicine in your home. When you do, don’t forget to acquire a Prilosec Savings Coupon to save money from your purchase, especially if it’s in large quantities.

Eat Slowly, And Don’t Overeat

The next tip to address heartburn is to practice eating slowly and not overeat. It will be difficult for your digestive system to digest the food you eat if it comes in quickly, resulting in poor digestive function.

The same result leads to overeating. If you overeat and eat quickly, your stomach must work harder. Because you consume more food than you should, your stomach needs to produce more acid to digest large amounts of food.

When your stomach is already full of food, there’s a tendency for additional acid produced by your stomach to be pushed up to your esophageal sphincter, which can cause uncomfortable symptoms like heartburn.

Schedule Your Meal And Snacks On Time

You must schedule your meal and snacks on time to avoid heartburn. For example, if you eat your dinner or have a snack 1 to 2 hours before bedtime, your stomach will still be full of food when you lay down on your bed.

Laying down on a full stomach is bad as it can trigger acid reflux, worsening your symptoms. Make sure to eat your last meal or snack of the day 3 hours before your scheduled bedtime. It will give your stomach enough time to digest and empty your food properly.

That said, you must also avoid lying down right after you eat a meal or snack. You should wait for at least 3 hours before you can lay down.

Aside from eating your dinner 3 hours before bedtime, you mustn’t eat a meal or a snack 2 hours before your exercise. A full stomach puts added pressure on your lower esophageal sphincter while working out and can trigger acid reflux and heartburn.

Sleep On An Incline Position

Sleeping on an incline position allows gravity to keep the stomach contents, including the acid, where they belong. Many individuals who have chronic heartburn experience insomnia.

This is because sleeping in the wrong position can cause stomach acid to slip into your esophagus, resulting in pain and discomfort. So, when you sleep, you should raise your torso up a bit.

You can use a wedge-shaped cushion to help you stay in an inclined position for the rest of the night. These wedge-shaped cushions can be purchased from medical supply companies or in a few home stores.

Identify and Avoid Food That Triggers Your Heartburn

Lastly, identify and avoid the food that triggers your heartburn. Food is the number one cause of heartburn.

As you can see, most of the tips given are associated with food. That’s why you must be very careful of what you’re eating moving forward, especially if you have chronic heartburn.

Common foods that can trigger heartburn are:

• Spicy food
• Citrus food or products
• Onions
• Peppermint
• Chocolate
• Fatty food
• Fried food
• Tomato products
• Carbonated drinks
• Beer
• Caffeinated beverages

Watch out for these foods, as these might be the ones that trigger your heartburn. However, you must still be observant and see if you get heartburn with other foods that aren’t on the list, as it is still a trigger that you must avoid.

Fight Heartburn And Live Happily

Heartburn might not be a life-threatening condition, but it can greatly impact your life in general. If you have heartburn, the tips mentioned above will be able to help you out.

Do note that while heartburn by itself is harmless, it could be an underlying sign of a more serious condition. Don’t hesitate to have an appointment with your doctor if you’re feeling uncomfortable with your current situation.