Acid reflux, more commonly known as heartburn happens when acids from the stomach push back up to your throat or esophagus and cause pain and unease. This is often a signal of weak muscles near your stomach that open and closes that pathway [1]. Around 60 million Americans experience this once per month or around 15 million daily according to the American College of Gastroenterology [2]. This issue can come without any warning and it can cause great discomfort.
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What are the symptoms?
According to the Mayo Clinic [3], they include:
- Chronic cough, soreness in the throat, trouble sleeping, and even asthma for nighttime heartburn.
- Sour and bitter taste in the mouth
- Painful burning sensation on the top left part of your chest, close to the heart (this is where the name comes from)
What causes this condition
The causes can vary substantially. Anything from diet to being obese [4]. Some people suffer from heartburn after eating chocolate, fatty foods, coffee, or soft drinks. So there isn’t really any particular thing that will cause it. It is a combination of multiple things.
How to remedy it at home?
There are many ways to do so, treatments include:
Changing your diet
Chose what you eat. Healthy meals and eating habits will help mitigate acid reflux. Also, try to eat a few hours before going to sleep so that you mitigate night-time heartburn.
Stress Reduction
As we all know, stress is a big problem in modern societies. Stress can cause a lot of issues, heartburn being one of them. Try lowering your stress throughout the day if possible. Try some new hobbies and habits that may alleviate stress and add enjoyment to your everyday life.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera juice can help a lot with heartburn. Be careful to use something that is meant for internal use. Many pharmacies have aloe vera juice stocked up and it is not even that expensive.
Other methods
People use a lot of lesser-known methods to ease heartburn. Some of them include eating raw celery, chewing gums, mustard, baking soda, probiotics, and apple cider vinegar. You can always try these too and see what works best for you!
[1]https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/acid-reflux-ger-gerd-adults
[2]https://gi.org/topics/acid-reflux/
[3]https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940
[4]https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/weight-loss
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