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Every day, millions of people come to doctors or pharmacies with requests for heartburn remedies. Often these are various tablets, capsules, solutions or gels that suppress an unpleasant sensation. In addition, on the Internet you can find a lot of recipes on how to get rid of heartburn with improvised means. But will such experiments do harm, and will you thunder into the hospital with an attack of an ulcer or gastritis?
What is heartburn
Almost all of us know what heartburn is. This is a subjectively unpleasant sensation that occurs in the chest – a burning sensation, pain, often with an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth.
Heartburn occurs because hydrochloric acid, which helps digest food, is thrown from the stomach into the esophagus. The walls of the esophagus are very delicate, they are not adapted for contact with such aggressive substances. Therefore, there is a feeling of soreness and burning.
Why heartburn occurs
“Heartburn is one of the most common symptoms with which patients turn to a gastroenterologist,” says Gastroenterologist Marat Zinnatullin. – Heartburn is perceived as a burning sensation or warmth that occurs behind the sternum or in the epigastric region. But it is not always a sign of a problem with the gastrointestinal tract. In a perfectly healthy person, heartburn can occur under certain circumstances, such as after food that stimulates acid production or after exercise that increases intra-abdominal pressure. But on condition that heartburn occurs no more than 1 – 2 times a month. If it appears 2 times a week or more often or 1 time per week, but throughout the year, then this is a reason to see a doctor.
Dr. Marat Zinnatullin listed the key situations when heartburn is possible:
- diseases of the esophagus – gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD), hiatal hernia;
- diseases of the stomach and duodenum – peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, cancer of the cardia of the stomach;
- pathology of other organs of the gastrointestinal tract – functional and organic diseases of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas;
- diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems – coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
- pathological conditions and syndromes – obesity, ascites, hepatosplenomegaly, flatulence, constipation;
- physiological conditions, such as pregnancy;
- taking medications – nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, calcium antagonists, anticholinergics, beta-blockers, progesterone, antidepressants, nitrates, expectorants, etc .;
- dietary errors and nutritional factors – fatty foods, chocolate, coffee, fruit juices, spicy, sweet, sour, spicy foods, fresh pastries, carbonated drinks;
- lifestyle features – work associated with an inclined position of the body and lifting weights;
- bad habits – alcohol, smoking.
Whatever the cause of heartburn, if it occurs, we feel extremely uncomfortable. Sometimes the sensations are so unpleasant that they can deprive you of peace and sleep. Therefore, various methods, improvised means or all kinds of recipes are used, which can be either completely safe and effective, or dangerous. Let’s take a look at the most popular tips, remedies and recommendations to combat heartburn.
Milk
It is often recommended to drink a glass to quench heartburn. It really works because, firstly, it mechanically flushes acid from the walls of the esophagus, and secondly, it contains anti-inflammatory components and proteins that help bind acid in the stomach. But sometimes, after milk, the opposite effects can occur – increased heartburn, so this recipe is not suitable for everyone. In addition, there are people with lactose intolerance, and this way of dealing with heartburn threatens them with diarrhea and a lot of discomfort in the stomach.
If you don’t like milk or can’t stand it, this is not the way to go.
Soda
A pinch of soda dissolved in water helps to extinguish the acidity in the stomach. But the effect of this is short-lived, in addition, gas is released during extinguishing, which brings discomfort. This method can be used extremely rarely, when it is completely unbearable and there are no safer drugs at hand. If heartburn is frequent, soda can harm metabolic processes by changing acidity.
Yogurt with probiotics
This product can help with heartburn due to several factors at once. First, it contains anti-inflammatory ingredients that soothe an irritated esophagus. Plus, a glass of drinking yogurt provides a serving of protein, which will partially bind stomach acid, which means it will be less thrown into the esophagus and irritate it. In addition to this, yogurt contains probiotics – they improve digestion, normalize bowel function. This means that food with acid will leave the stomach faster.
In general, yogurt can help, but you need to choose a natural product – without sugar and dyes. Sweet yogurt will only increase the feeling of heartburn.
Apple vinegar
There is evidence that a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with 50-100 ml of water (but by no means ordinary, and certainly not vinegar essence!) Helps to eliminate heartburn. People are divided on this recipe. Some note a significant improvement in their condition, others do not see any result. In addition, we did not find a single scientific publication that would confirm the effectiveness of this advice.
In general, this method is safe as long as it is not used daily and the vinegar is diluted with water.
Chewing gum
Separate publications from different years have shown that chewing sugar-free gum for 20 to 30 minutes after eating can reduce stomach acid and heartburn. But there is also evidence that mint chewing gum itself can provoke an increase in stomach acidity and the severity of heartburn. Therefore, this recipe is not suitable for everyone, and you need to choose only certain types of chewing gum.
Aloe juice
It is believed that a teaspoon of fresh aloe leaf juice mixed with half a glass of warm water can help relieve heartburn. But we have not found scientific confirmation of the effectiveness of such a recipe.
It is also important to emphasize that allergy sufferers need to be more careful with such a recipe. Instead of heartburn, you can get a serious allergy.
bananas
Many people are sure that half a banana can help with heartburn, as it normalizes digestion and quenches acid, enveloping the walls of the esophagus. Yes, scientists say that vitamins and microelements help to normalize the tone of the digestive system, improve intestinal motility, but there is no evidence that this helps with heartburn.
Mint tea
Although peppermint is famous for calming the stomach and relieving cramps, there is no evidence that peppermint tea helps relieve heartburn. Moreover, many people, on the contrary, suffer from heartburn after drinking mint tea or other products with mint. This is because mint relaxes the muscles of the lower esophageal sphincter, the place that separates the esophagus from the stomach. And thus the acid even more actively enters the esophagus. Mint is especially active in heartburn if you use essential oils. Therefore, you should not use this method in the hope of coping with heartburn.
Drinks with ginger
They are able to normalize digestion and fight nausea, as well as partially suppress heartburn. But it is important to consume them after meals, in the form of tea or infusion and without sugar.
Popular questions and answers
Answered popular questions about heartburn Gastroenterologist Marat Zinnatullin.