Who hasn't bolted upright in the night, awakened by a sudden and
terrible burning sensation in the pit of their stomach? Whether
you indulged in some overly spicy chili, or overdid it on those
late-night leftovers, these quick heartburn remedies will soothe
your fiery stomach and help you get back to sleep!
1. The first thing you'll want to do when you're awakened by
heartburn pain, is to stand up. This helps keep the acid at bay
while you go and get a full glass of cool water.
2. Drink the whole glass of water, and follow it with a mixture
of 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and half a glass of water. Be
careful though, if you have high blood pressure or are pregnant,
this can cause water retention or increase your blood pressure.
3. DON'T drink milk or suck on mints to relieve heartburn. Milk
might feel nice and cool going down, but it actually contains
fats and proteins that cause your stomach to secrete MORE acid
and make your heartburn worse! Mints, while they may feel
soothing, actually relax the small valve between your esophagus
and stomach, whose purpose it is to actually KEEP acid at bay!
When this valve is relaxed, more acid can seep up and aggravate
heartburn symptoms!
4. This is going to sound strange, but downing a teaspoon of
vinegar can help soothe heartburn immediately! Why give your
stomach MORE acid when it already seems to have enough, you ask?
Sometimes, heartburn is caused as a result of too little acid,
and vinegar helps quell indigestion by giving your stomach a
little extra "juice" (no pun intended!) to do its job!
5. Certain foods can cause nighttime heartburn, including: soda
pop or beverages with caffeine (which you shouldn't be drinking
before bed anyway!), alcohol, garlic, chocolate (sorry!), citrus
fruits, tomatoes and tomato-based products. Avoiding these types
of food can help ease your indigestion if you frequently find
yourself awakened with that intolerable burning!
6. Eating a banana each day works like an antacid to soothe
heartburn. If you're already stricken with indigestion, eating
pineapple or papaya (or drinking the juice) can help settle your
stomach naturally. Some people also claim that eating a teaspoon
of mustard (yuck!) can work immediately.
7. Avoid eating at least two hours before you go to sleep. Those
late night snacks can keep your stomach busy all night and
prevent you from easing into a deep, restful sleep. You may also
find that sleeping on your left side or sleeping at a somewhat
upright angle can keep acid down where it belongs.
If you are awakened by heartburn on a regular basis, or the pain
is severe, or if you have heartburn with vomiting, you'll want
to consult your doctor immediately as it may be a sign of a more
serious condition such as an ulcer. Above all, avoid spicy,
fatty and caffeine-containing foods before bed, and you should
be able to drift off to sleep easily.
Sweet dreams!
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