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Eating Before Bed Heartburn
I've had heartburn all week?
I have had pretty consistent heartburn the past week, especially when I go to bed. All I've had to eat today is an egg when I woke up, Special K cereal for lunch and a banana later in the day. Nothing greasy or fattening or spicy. The only thing I've had to drink is juice. I am having really bad heartburn. I THINK that I had read somewhere that if you have heartburn more than once in a week to see your Dr. Is this something serious that I do need to get checked out? I've never really had heartburn frequently before.
Hi, you can get over the counter heartburn treatments from the pharmacy, and they may be able to help, but the effects do not always last long.
You could go to the doctor and get some medication which will reduce the amount od acid that your stomach makes.
However there are other steps that you can take that can ease the pain. I used to suffer with heartburn really badly a few years ago, and that was down to a bad diet, and not eating properly on a regular basis.
For the short term and getting rid of the pain quickly, you can try using some baking soda. Just mix a teaspoon in some water and drink it, you should feel better within a few minutes.
You can also try taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar as that can really help as well.
Eating live natural yogurt is also good, as it contains lots of good bacteria which is good for internal health.
The other things you should do is to avoid any citrus fruits, i.e. oranges, lemons, grapefruits etc. Also do not eat anything for around 3 hours before going to sleep. Try sleeping on two pillows so that your head is raised. This helps to stop the acid running up your esophagus.
After eating, do not lie down, go for a walk or something. Drink lots of water to help dilute the acid so it is weaker.
Heartburn is normally caused by a bad diet, so in future avoid foods high in fat, and drinks that have lots of sugar in them. Try adding more fresh vegetables in your diet as well.
In most cases heartburn can develop into full blown acid reflux, so start doing eating the right things now to prevent this happening in the future.
Hope this has been of some help, you can also get more information on how to stop heartburn at the resource below
Heartburn Prevention - Sacrifice to Save Yourself
Popular stand-up comic Brian Regan has a sketch where he goes to the doctor and gets a list of things that cause heartburn. He's dumbfounded. "Yeah, I know this. I know how to get it," he says with a confused look on his face, "It's like having a cannonball wound and getting a list . . . '1) Do not stand directly in front of a cannon.' I have a cannonball wound! Do you have some cannonball-wound ointment?"
Sadly, Mr. Regan's desire to combat heartburn on a remedy-basis only is not the ultimate answer. Taking antacids like Zantac 75 and Pepcid Complete Dual Action can relieve the symptoms of heartburn temporarily, but they aren't the cure, and heartburn can still cause damage if it isn't prevented at the source.
Some Causes of Heartburn
Brian Regan's doctor gives him a list of items to avoid, and then says, "Oh yeah, and lay off dairy." Regan says the doctor may as well have said, "And no more happiness!" This list is a little bit like that, but when the ultimate goal is to prevent the pain of heartburn, it seems less malicious.
• Caffeinated drinks like coffees and colas. One of the effects of caffeine is a relaxation of the LES, or Lower Esophageal Sphincter. This can cause the stomach's contents to "reflux" into the esophagus.
• Alcoholic drinks. It seems strange since caffeine and alcohol seem to be opposites, but alcohol has nearly the same effect as caffeine on the LES.
• Tight clothes. Yes, we're going with the no more happiness principle here. Actually, tight clothes force food to reflux into the esophagus, especially tight jeans and belts, and anything that tries to pull everything in like control-top hosiery. Isn't it a great time to invest in something comfortable, like pajama pants?
• Eating before bed. The days of the midnight snack should be over for heartburn sufferers. Lying down shortly after eating increase the chances of reflux.
• Chocolate.Everything good causes heartburn, apparently. Chocolate contains theobromine, another chemical that relaxes the LES and lets acid into the esophagus.
• Fatty or fried foods and large meals. Fatty food or eating large amounts slows down digestion, and the longer food stays in the stomach, the more easily the food can be forced into the esophagus.
• Tobacco. The chemicals in cigarettes and other tobacco products weaken the LES, which means that over time it simply lets more food back into the esophagus.
• Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and other highly acidic foods.
Avoiding the things on this list and developing good nutrition and fitness habits can cut back on the number of times you have to take heartburn medication, and keeping the acid out of the esophagus will help it to serve you happily for much longer. Gradually introduce heartburn-avoidance habits into your life to avoid making yourself wonder whether life is worth living, even with heartburn, but do introduce them. Having the capacity to treat the symptoms is necessary, but avoiding the symptoms as often as possible will be much more effective than any "cannonball ointment."
About the Author
Megan works in the marketing division of Overstock Drugstore. She enjoys researching and writing articles because it helps her to understand the people and products her company works with a little better. Megan ultimately would like to be a librarian.
