Three Natural Remedies for Heartburn
There's Natural Relief from Heartburn
Have you suffered for months or years from heartburn, acid reflux, or indigestion? Is it to the point where you carry Tums, Pepto-Bismol or proton pump inhibitors around with you wherever you go? Heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion are common ailments, and people of all ages experience their uncomfortable symptoms, says Dr. Sasha Rose, a board-certified naturopathic doctor and the Medical Director at Wildwood Medicine in Portland, Maine.
Yet, those who take the conventional route to treating heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion often never get to the root of their problem. That's because Western Medicine often treats the symptoms but ignores the cause of the condition. In fact, many people permanently adopt the use of over-the-counter drugs, not knowing that these conventional treatments do not heal, they simply mask your symptoms. The fact is that conventional treatments are meant to be used for days or weeks, not months and years.
"If you're using medications, such as proton pump inhibitors, to suppress your normal stomach acid for years or even decades, then you could be at risk for bigger problems," says Dr. Rose. Stomach acid is there for a reason, it's there to digest food. If there's not enough acid in your stomach, then your food is not getting properly broken up and it can become a domino effect, leading to more serious imbalances in your microbiome and gut flora.
"Proton pump inhibitors are really intended for two weeks," says Dr. Rose, "yet people stay on them for months and even years."
Getting Natural Relief from Heartburn
The good news is that there are several natural ways to get temporary relief from heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion. Most people don't know that there's large a variety of natural remedies – derived from common plants and herbs – and many of these are already in your kitchen!
Here are some suggestions that can relieve the suffering from the burning or uncomfortable conditions that come with chronic heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion.
- Eat your biggest meal in the middle of the day, not at night which is when many people suffer from heartburn.
- Raise up the head of your bed and or sleep on two pillows.
- Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), a form of licorice known to alleviate the symptoms of acid reflux is available in supplement or chewable form.
- Aloe Vera can help reduce acid production and act as an anti-inflammatory agent. Aloe Vera is available as a juice or in supplement form.
- Baking soda mixed with water can also provide temporary relief.
Finding the Long-Term Fix for Heartburn
The natural remedies listed above provide relief for heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion. For some, they can even cure the problem. For others, however, it's necessary to go deeper. Once you've gotten temporary relief from your heartburn and acid reflux symptoms, that's the time to seek the long-term fix. Part of this entails looking at what is causing the problem in the first place.
One way to start your long-term healing is to look at the most common foods that exacerbate heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion. Among them are some of our favorites: coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, and tomato products, such as tomato paste. Reducing or altogether removing those items from your diet is a great way to start, but for some it's not easy to make these dietary changes. Thankfully you can find guides online on pages like https://www.refluxgate.com/lpr-diet to help you, as getting support can make all the difference.
The process of healing from heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion can take time, and having a doctor to help you along the path to optimal health, is not only smart, but it's an investment in your long-term health and vitality. If you want to master your digestive health and treat your heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion naturally, Dr. Sasha Rose can help get to the root cause.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sasha, either in person or online, go to:
http://drsasharose.com/schedule/
About
Dr. Sasha specializes in treating chronic digestive disorders. These include GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disorder), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's disease. In 2013 she published her first book: Digestive Relief for Life: The Secret to the Mind-Gut Connection.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sasha Rose, go to:
http://drsasharose.com/schedule/