Heartburn gives a burning sensation in the chest and stomach. It can be confused with heart problems as the pain rising from the chest and sometimes radiating to the neck, throat, and jaw is very similar.
Many home remedies can get you pain relief from heartburn and may not require any medicine in most cases.
What Causes Heartburn?
The biggest cause of heartburn is improper diet. If we take full control of what we eat and what we don't, then there will be no heartburn in most cases. Improper diet leads to acid reflux.
Most heartburn is caused by acid reflux, but a very small percentage (less than 60 in thousand) of heartburn can be due to heart disease. It is also true that sometimes the acid reflux may not produce heartburn but almost all heartburn is caused by acid reflux.
Nausea, Gas, bloating, and shortness of breath are some of the physical manifestations of heartburn. These can accompany with an acidic or sour taste in the throat and mouth.
Though most heartburn symptoms are temporary and are related to what you eat and how much you eat, it is important to find out the exact cause and rule out any possibilities of a heart problem.
7 Effective Home Remedies for Heartburn
The following 7 heartburn home remedies can be useful in relieving pain. All other remedies for acid reflux will also work well for heartburn.
1. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera Drink is an excellent home remedy. Drink a glass of Aloe Vera Juice 2-3 times a day. It will provide good relief.
- Peel the outer skin of one Aloe Vera leaf
- Remove the rind and put about 30 ml in a blender juicer
- Add 200ml water Aloe Vera Rind and let the blender do its job.
- Add a teaspoon of honey
Don’t add any sugar. The juice may not taste exciting even after adding honey but is very good to get rid of heartburn.
2. Water
Water is one of the most potent ingredients to instantly get relief from heartburn. Two glasses of cool water should be sufficient in most cases.
- Drink a glass of water at the first signs of heartburn.
- Drink another glass immediately after the first
- Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to half a glass of water and drink it.
Baking soda neutralizes acidity. If have blood pressure then avoid baking soda. Just 2 glasses of water should be enough.
3. Potato
Potato juice is another excellent home remedy to get heartburn relief.
- Clean a medium size potato with water.
- Don't peel its skin.
- Chop it and put it in a blender juicer with 100 ml water to extract the juice. Strain the juice and sip it slowly.
Make sure that the potato you select is healthy. It should not be soft or green. Any green patches are an indication of unripe potatoes. Unripe potatoes contain toxic solanine.
4. Almonds
Almonds are another excellent natural treatment.
- Chew 3-4 almonds whenever you feel heartburn.
- Chewing every almond slowly for 40 times before it is gulped down completely makes it more effective
Almonds help in reducing the acidic impact of food in the digestion tract. Therefore, making a habit of eating 3-4 almonds after every meal will prevent heartburn. You can soak Almonds overnight to make them soft.
5-Papaya
Papaya is also a very digestive aid. Most parts of the papaya tree and fruit including leaves, pulp, and seeds contain an enzyme called papain. The enzyme also known as vegetable pepsin is used in many medical preparations. You can use papaya fruit to get rid of your heartburn as under:
- Cut the papaya into slices and eat at least 200 grams of papaya pulp for good relief.
- Pregnant women should avoid eating papaya as it can lead to miscarriage.
For best effect eat papaya after 15 minutes of eating your meal.
6-Ginger
Ginger contains compounds such as Gingerol and shogaol, which provide a soothing effect in the digestive process to get rid of heartburn. Ginger is therefore not only useful in treating heartburn but also very useful in other problems such as nausea and vomiting related to indigestion.
Ginger benefits in many different ways, therefore you can add it during cooking food to prevent heartburn. However, if you already have heartburn then you can drink ginger paste which you can prepare as under:
- Take an inch of fresh ginger root.
- Squeeze its juice and mix it with one teaspoon of honey.
- Lick the mixture for relief.
You can also prepare Ginger tea by boiling the ginger slices in 200ml of water. Once the tea is prepared let it cool down to a palatable temperature. Add a teaspoon of honey and drink it warm.
7-Banana
Banana acts as a natural antacid. Eat a properly ripe banana after every meal. Bananas should not be overripe which makes them very soft. Under ripe of hard banana is also not as good as a properly ripe banana.
It will be more effective in heartburn pain relief if you eat it after 15 minutes of taking food.