Although it is commonly called heartburn, this condition has no relationship to the heart, although sometimes the symptoms resemble that of heart disease or a heart attack. Simply put heartburn is an irritation of the esophagus as a result stomach acid finding its way up out of the stomach. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the  cause, the prevention and some heartburn natural cures.

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What is Heartburn?

The stomach is equipped with a valve known as the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES for short) whose main function is to keep the stomach acid in the stomach. The LES is positioned left of center just below the rib cage at the spot where the esophagus meets the stomach. It’s a muscular valve the open to allow food into the stomach, closing again to keep it in. It will occasionally open again to let gas out commonly called a belch or burp. Sometimes however, the LES opens frequently and doesn’t close tightly enough allowing the acid in the stomach to seep back into the esophagus thereby causing a burning sensation. This is also known as Acid Reflux.

When this happens sporadically it is not anything to be concerned about, but a constant recurrence of heartburn in serious and can result in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). 10% of North Americans and about 50% of all pregnant women suffer regularly from heartburn. For 30% of the population it is an occasional nuisance.

The Cause.

As said previously the basic cause of heartburn is the Lower Esophageal Sphinter, or LES when it doesn’t close and tighten as it should. Contributing to this problem is the diet, overeating, and in the case of obese people or pregnant women too much pressure on the stomach. The LES can be made to relax through certain foods such as citrus fruits, onions, tomatoes, coffee, just to name a few. A diet consisting of foods both animal and vegetable high in fat are contributors to heartburn, as well as, some medications. Anything that increases acid production such as stress can also cause heartburn. Although not as many people partake any more, smoking can also contribute to heartburn by relaxing the LES and stimulating the stomach acid.

Prevention.

Here are some tips to follow that will help prevent the heartburn from happening.

1. Keep your head elevated when lying down, this will help to reduce any acid coming into your  esophagus.
2. Stay away from eating just before bedtime, this will give your stomach a chance to digest all the food in it.
3. Don’t smoke. Nicotine will cause your LES to relax allowing acid to backup into the esophagus.
4. Stay away from alcohol, and citrus fruit drinks. They contain acids which will provoke the situation.
5. Make sure you diet does not include any fatty or spicy foods.
6. If you are overweight try losing some weight. The extra weight causes more pressure on the stomach resulting in acid backup.

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The Cure.

The most common approach to curing the heartburn is through Pharmaceutical drugs. These work fine in an emergency, but at best are only a short term solution. Taken over a long period of time, drugs can produce many side effects. Besides lowering your tolerance to the medication, drugs can result in more severe medical problems when taken over an extended period. Bottom line is that drugs do not cure heartburn they only give temporary relief from it.

What you really need to do is to cure your acid reflux condition and gain complete freedom from digestive disorders naturally, without drugs, antacids or “magic potions,” simply by using the clinically proven, scientifically-accurate step by step method found inside the amazing heartburn freedom guidebook called Heartburn No More.

The Heartburn No More program is not a quick fix ‘fairy tale’ cure but a complete holistic solution aimed at eliminating the root cause of heartburn and digestive disorders (regardless of their severity) and ensure that you will permanently be acid reflux-free, it does take work and persistence to complete.

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However, there are actually some heartburn home remedies that do work.

• Chewing gum: Okay, this might seem like a very strange, yet simple solution to a huge problem like heartburn. However, you would be surprised at how effective simply chewing gum can be! Many people misinterpret heartburn for having a lot of air in their stomach. When you chew gum, it allows you to belch and release that air. Often, this is enough to help someone who is suffering from an attack of heartburn.
• Apple cider vinegar: Did you know that heartburn is often caused by not having ENOUGH acid? That seems to fly in the face of everything you have heard, but many times as we age our production of stomach acid (HCL) reduces. If you do not have enough stomach acid, you are more prone to bacteria and viruses passing through your digestive system because there is nothing strong enough to kill them. Your food also does not break down properly. Apple cider vinegar is a very old, but effective, home remedy for heartburn. It adds back that missing acid and often solves the problem.
• Wedge pillow: Something as simple as propping up on a wedge pillow when you sleep at night can solve your aching chest as well. These pillows are inexpensive and can easily be found online. They keep you from regurgitating acid back up into your esophagus while you are sleeping.
• Baking soda: This is another old remedy that still works wonders. Buy a box of baking soda and you will see the mixture you can make for heartburn. Be careful not to do this on a full stomach or it can be dangerous. Also, make sure you follow those instructions to the letter.
• Digestive enzymes: These are a cheap way to solve your heartburn problems. You can purchase digestive enzymes online or at any health food store. They will add into your stomach the right enzymes to break down your food.

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As you can plainly see, there is no reason to immediately jump to taking a harsh prescription medication if you can solve the issue of heartburn at home using natural methods. There are all kinds of lifestyle modifications you can make as well including not wearing tight fitting clothing, not eating a few hours before bedtime and cutting down on foods like chocolate and tomato products. These are just a few of the heartburn home remedies.

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Here are some of the common symptoms that you may feel.

• Burning: This sensation usually comes from the fact that stomach acid and food contents have been regurgitated into the throat. This can cause throat burning and a sore throat as well. The scary fact is that when this process keeps happening for weeks, months and years, it can turn into a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus. This condition must be checked by doing an upper endoscopy several times per year to make sure that the person has not developed cancer. Sometimes, this burning pain is perceived as being a heart attack which lands many scared patients in the emergency room. Any kind of chest pain should always be checked out by a qualified doctor, so do not write it off as indigestion until you have been examined.
• Bloating: Again, bloating can be caused from a number of different conditions including ovarian cancer, so you always want to get it checked out by your doctor. However, if you are experiencing the bloating associated with heartburn, it often can be alleviated by chewing gum. Be careful, though, because people who chew gum too often can actually introduce air into their stomach and cause more bloating. It is a vicious cycle!
• Belching: Many heartburn sufferers find that they seem to belch a lot more than other people. This is likely due to the extra bloating that they have in their stomachs.
• Chest pressure: Again, any discomfort in the chest should always be checked by a physician, however many people with heartburn report feeling like they have pressure in their chests. This is again due to the distention of the stomach pushing upward.

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If you think you are experiencing the symptoms of heartburn, you need to take a proactive approach to getting rid of the problem. One of the biggest reasons why people have heartburn is extra weight around the midsection. If you are carrying any extra pounds around your middle, you need to get those off because it is causing your stomach to press upwards. Also, if you are a smoke, you need to stop because nicotine causes the lower esophageal sphincter muscle to relax which allows acid to regurgitate up into the throat. You also need to remove offending foods like fried, fatty foods as well as chocolate, coffee and tomato sauce. You do not have to completely remove those foods, but you must be aware and prepared to treat heartburn if you consume them. Heartburn is no fun, but being armed with information helps to know how to properly combat its effects.

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Unfortunately, heartburn is a fact of life for many people. In fact, there are many people who live with it on a daily basis. It is a horrible condition to have once much less all the time. Thankfully, there are ways to get rid of heartburn if you are willing to make some lifestyle modifications and try some home remedies. Instead of just popping a prescribed medication for the rest of your life, why not try a few other things first?

For instance, there are certain foods that heartburn sufferers may want to avoid altogether. These include fatty, fried foods as well as chocolate, tea, coffee and tomato products. That may sound like the end of the world since those are all great tasting things, but would you rather have heartburn all the time?

You may also want to get rid of any excess weight you are carrying as that can cause the contents of your stomach to push upward and you will experience reflux. Have you ever had food come up into your throat and you get that burning acid feeling? That is also damaging your esophageal lining, and it can cause cancer later so it pays to get it under control early.

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You also need to make sure that you never eat within 3-4 hours of bed time. In the example above, you can see why that is a very bad idea. Even though you might be hungry, it is not a good idea to have food in your system at night because your digestive system basically shuts down when you fall asleep. It needs a rest too! That means the contents of your stomach are just sitting there all night long. If you are lying down, they can wash up into your throat and cause that burning sensation while it is doing damage.

So, if you are wondering how to get rid of heartburn, you need to take the common sense approach. You must do the things that you do not want to do: diet, exercise and eliminating the triggers that cause the heartburn such as stress. Our bodies react to our lifestyle, so you may have to make some big changes to stop feeling the burn.

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There are other symptoms associated with heartburn as well. For instance, you might experience bloating that makes you feel like you are swelling up like a beached whale. Or you might feel sharp, intense pain in your stomach area. One common symptom of heartburn is belching. Because your stomach is full of air, this is often a sign of heartburn. A quick tip to get rid of bloating and belching is to chew some gum. This often allows you to belch and expel the air that is trapped in your stomach thus alleviating the symptoms.

Some people who have heartburn experience bad breath. This is not a fun symptom for you or for the people who are around you. This bad taste in your mouth is likely a result of food regurgitating into your throat and back of your mouth. Of course, there is also that lovely burning sensation that one gets when they experience heartburn. The burning can be dull or extremely intense, and it can vary from time to time.

If you are getting attacks of heartburn more than 2 times each week, you might have additional problems that need to be dealt with by you and your doctor. For instance, your gallbladder may be malfunctioning and need to be removed. If it is heartburn, it is important that you do something to stop it because the acid will do damage to your esophagus over time. It may cause trouble breathing and sleeping as well as a persistent cough. This often indicates that the damage has already begun.

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Be mindful that you may want to have some further testing done at your doctor’s office to make sure that nothing serious is going on. For instance, the doctor may order an upper endoscopy which will allow them to pass a small lighted tube with a camera on it into your stomach and upper intestinal area. This will allow them to look at any damage being done and make sure there are no ulcers or tumors growing. They may also order an ultrasound of your stomach or even a HIDA scan to look at your gallbladder. These are just a few of the symptoms of heartburn that you may be experiencing.

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Let’s look at what causes heartburn so that we can learn how to avoid it.

• Late night eating: Our digestive system goes to “sleep” when we do. It needs a rest period, so it does not process foods while you are sleeping. Therefore, if you eat a plate of cookies an hour before bed, those cookies will still be sitting in your stomach when you wake up the next morning. What do you think that does to your stomach lining? Having anything sitting there for hours on end is not a good thing. Plus, you then go lie down in your bed which causes the stomach’s contents to be pushed up into your esophagus. This is not good for your health as long term burning of the esophagus can cause a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus.
• Too tight clothing: If you are a bit overweight and wearing tight pants, you will likely experience more heartburn and acid reflux. This is because your pants are pushing up on your stomach causing the contents to also push upward.
• Eating the wrong foods: Like it or not, there are certain foods that cause more heartburn than others. For instance, chocolate is one that can cause a good bit of indigestion in some people. Also, tomato products and onions are known to cause heartburn as well.
• Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol has been implicated in many cases of indigestion because it produces quite a bit of acidity in the stomach.
• Smoking: Nicotine causes the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, which allows more of the stomach’s contents to wash upward. As a smoker, you are likely to experience more heartburn than if you were a non-smoker.
• Not drinking enough water: If you do not consume enough water each day, your body will become more acidic. You need at least 8 glasses of pure water each day to bathe your cells and your stomach in alkaline liquid. Our bodies are mostly made up of water, so it only makes sense that we would need quite a bit of it each day.

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As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do at home to reduce your risk of having heartburn on a regular basis. Having this condition every once in a great while is one thing, but if you are experiencing it on a daily basis you should see your doctor to be further evaluated.