Heartburn is a common source of discomfort in our modern lifestyle. The burning sensation is caused by acid from the stomach coming up through the lower esophageal sphincter and injuring the esophagus. It can be confused with acid indigestion, a more serious condition in which the stomach or intestine is injured by excess acid. Acid indigestion can lead to very serious conditions.

One of the potential causes of heartburn is excess acid from acidic foods. If, for instance, a glass of orange juice often precedes your heartburn, this can be the cause. You will need to counter it with an antacid. However, many heartburn sufferers swear by vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar as a remedy for heartburn. But vinegar is acidic – so how can one get relief by using vinegar for heartburn?

Too Little Acid

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) forms the entrance to the stomach. Above it is the esophagus which serves only to transport food from the mouth to the LES. Once past the sphincter, acid begins breaking down the food. The muscles of the LES serve to open and close the entry to the acidic region. When food is swallowed, the LES opens. When no food is present in the esophagus, the LES stays closed.

The closed LES causes a pressure difference between the esophagus and stomach with higher pressure in the esophagus. If the muscles relax too much, the pressure equalizes and acid can enter the esophagus much more easily. A change in position, for instance, can cause a reflux of acid with the resulting heartburn. The pain from acid can make taking acidic vinegar as a heartburn treatment seem silly.

One of the things that trigger the LES to close tightly is acid. When acid is detected, the muscles pull tight to stay closed. If your stomach does not create enough acid or if you have eaten food that is very alkaline or just too low in acid, the muscles may relax. If that is the cause of your pain, the answer can be to drink a bit of vinegar for heartburn. A couple of tablespoons in a glass of water are enough.

Of course, drinking water alone can also help keep stomach acid where it belongs. Try some plain water first – you may not need vinegar for heartburn. Until you are sure that it works for you, you might want to take care in introducing acid to help cure an acid problem. Once you are sure it works, however, you can feel good about a daily dose of vinegar for heartburn if that’s what you want.

When eating too fast, eating too much, eating the wrong foods or just plain eating has resulted in that familiar burning sensation, you know it’s time for help. You can run to the drug store for something chewable or to the medicine cabinet for something awful-tasting or to the list of grandma’s favorite home remedies. The number of possible cures is almost as large as the number of possible causes. Of course, you could just relax and take a little baking soda for heartburn.

Why It Works

With all of the causes of heartburn, the thing that causes the burning is always the same. Acid from the stomach has squirted up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and attacked the esophagus. There are a lot of reasons that can happen. You can take the time to find out why it happens to you and then try to avoid it. Or, if the occurrence is infrequent, you can just deal with the common problem: acid. The opposite of acid is antacid or alkaline. That’s what baking soda is; which is why simply using a little baking soda for heartburn is so effective.

The close quarters shared by the esophagus, the stomach and the LES that connects them often leads to a little spillage causing a burning sensation. For the occasional, mild heartburn, nature has a few easy ways to help. Saliva has what it takes to calm the little bit of acid that escapes with a belch. A stick of chewing gum can increase the saliva to give your body that lovely boost. A glass of water keeps things flowing in the right direction – down and away from the esophagus and the coolness feels good.

Sometimes the whole thing started because of dry food anyway. When plain water isn’t enough, you need a little kick to counteract the acid instead of just washing it away. Baking soda for heartburn is a natural antacid that is gentle to your damaged parts and has no side effects. You do put it in cookies, after all – so, when you drink a glass of water, add a spoonful of baking soda for heartburn for quicker, safe relief.

If you suffer from heartburn frequently, ask your doctor about possible causes. Sometimes medical conditions or medicines can cause the LES to weaken and allow acid reflux. If you are taking antihistamines, asthma medication, calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure, anxiety medication, nitrates, or prescription pain killers, let your doctor know when heartburn becomes a side effect. In the meantime, take a little baking soda for heartburn and have a more pleasant day.

I do not think there is anyone out there who does not know what heartburn is. The bitter bile taste in the mouth, the burning sensation in your chest and the terrible bloated feeling that comes with heartburn has plagued everyone at one time or other. When this symptom occurs once in a while, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. However, when the occasional occurrence turns into constant heartburn, then you have something to worry about.

What Happens When You Get Heartburn?

Simply put, you regurgitate acid from stomach back into the esophagus, which not only makes one gag; it also gives a terrible burning sensation due to its acidic nature. When this happens, the lower esophagus sphincter (a lid that closes the lower stomach to prevent food and fluids flow back into the alimentary canal) malfunctions and opens to allow the acid reflux (or flowing back). This acid, depending upon its strength, can flow back sometimes right till the mouth, leaving behind a very vile taste and uncomfortable feeling.

When constant heartburn attacks you, you need to see a doctor as this is a serious health condition. The doctor will normally give you anti-reflux medicines and peppermint based alkaline compounds which when ingested can neutralize the acid in the stomach.

There are a few precautions that would help you greatly in combating constant heartburn, naturally. Check out the following remedies and see whether you can get rid of your constant heartburn using any of the following advice.

Eat healthy meals, particularly those that include plenty of fiber and lots of fluids. Eat smaller meals at regular intervals, instead of large meals at big intervals. Avoid lying down and going to sleep immediately after food. Give your food one or two hours before to digest before you go to bed.

Do not exercise immediately following a meal. Keep at least one hour between your meal and your gym regime. Take extra care to stay within a normal weight range for your height and gender. Overweight people have more problems with constant heartburn.

Avoid at all costs foods that may be instrumental in provoking constant heartburn, such as caffeine, citrus, alcohol, tomato, chocolate, aerated drinks, and tobacco and so on.

If you are prone to get constant heartburn attacks, do not wear tight clothing, because besides being uncomfortable, they prevent the proper flow of fluids in the body.

You must have heard of doctors talking about GERD while advising you about heartburn. Many think that heartburn and gerd are two separate diseases. However, it is not so – it is the same thing. Heartburn is also known as GERD in medical terms, which is the short for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Why Does Heartburn Occur?

Now that you know that heartburn and gerd are the same, let us check out what causes this disease and what its symptoms are. You may like to note here that heartburn and gerd being synonyms can be used alternatively. GERD occurs normally when the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) swings inwards to allow the acid and undigested foods from the stomach rush back into the mouth. The esophagus not being prepared for this assault burns and hurts terribly when this happens.

The weak sphincter has to be strengthened for the heartburn and gerd to be prevented. There is an extremely unpleasant taste and feeling post the regurgitation because the acid and bile mixed return to the mouth from the stomach. The best way to avoid this occurrence is to ensure that you avoid food that triggers it. In order to treat it after it happens, you should always have some prescribed medicines that you can have as soon as you feel the acidity.

How Can Heartburn and Gerd Be Avoided?

When you find that you have repeated heartburn attacks, you should try and identify the triggers. These would normally be certain foods, that if avoided can spare of a lot of pain and discomfort. Otherwise, you could have some over-the-counter antacids or physician prescribed medications. These could be very useful to counteract the symptoms and give you instant relief.

The best cure of any disease is its prevention. Hence, the best way to cure heartburn and gerd is to avoid it altogether. There are very simple rules to follow to achieve this– see how many you can adopt:

1. Keep your weight under control; overweight people have a higher probability of developing heartburn problems than people who have a healthy body mass index.
2. If you are smoking, stop doing so immediately.
3. Drastically reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption as well.
4. Let at least two hours elapse after you finish your dinner.
5. Always wear loose fitting clothes, since tight ones aggravate and promote acidity.