Eat Smaller Meals
Stomach acids can be forced up into the esophagus when there’s too much food in your belly. Fill your belly more, and you’ll force up more acid, says Klein. (And try these 9 foods that soothe heartburn naturally.)
Limit Foods That Fan The Flames
Certain foods are more likely to cause heartburn than others. Fatty foods, including meat and dairy, tend to sit in the stomach for a long time and foster surplus acid production, says Larry I. Good, MD. It’s also wise to stay away from citrus fruits and juices, onions, tomatoes, beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. (Make sure to avoid these 8 foods at nighttime.)
Say No To Cocoa
The number one food to avoid when you’re experiencing heartburn is chocolate. The sweet confection deals those with heartburn a double whammy. It is nearly all fat, and it contains caffeine. (For chocolate addicts, however, here’s good news. White chocolate, while just as fatty, has little caffeine.)
Think Mild, For Spice Isn’t Always Nice
Chile peppers and their spicy cousins may seem like the most likely heartburn culprits, but they’re not. Many people with heartburn can eat spicy foods without added pain, says Klein. Then again, some can’t.
Avoid Milk
Fats, proteins, and calcium in milk can stimulate the stomach to secrete acid. “Some people recommend milk for heartburn—but there’s a problem with it,” says Klein. “It feels good going down, but it stimulates acid secretion in the stomach.”
Retire The Salt Shaker
A Swedish study of 3,153 acid reflux patients found that those who used extra table salt daily were 70% more likely to develop the chronic form of heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Stick To The 8 O’Clock Rule
No munchies or meals after 8 PM. says Donald Castell, MD. The stomach needs a full 3 hours to empty out before bedtime. Stomach acids can do more damage to the esophagus when you’re lying down, increasing cancer risk.
Take An Antacid
“An over-the-counter antacid such as Maalox or Mylanta will generally bring fast relief from occasional heartburn,” says Klein. These products help neutralize the acid in your stomach, while acid blockers like Pepcid AC, Zantac 75, and Tagamet can decrease the production of acid in the stomach for several hours. You can take these before a meal as well as after.
Chew Gum
Chewing gum can provide temporary relief of heartburn, says Timothy McCashland, MD. “It stimulates the flow of saliva, which neutralizes acid and helps push digestive juices back down where they belong. A small British study found that gum chewing doubles saliva production, and while it’s not as efficient as taking an antacid, it is an allnatural remedy that’s readily available in a pinch, says McCashland. (Try one of these 8 chemical-free chewing gums.)
Leave The Mints At The Cash Register
While it’s often used as a tummy soother, peppermint makes heartburn worse because it lowers the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter allowing acid to rise into the esophagus.
Go Easy On The Caffeine
Caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and cola may irritate an already inflamed esophagus. Caffeine also relaxes the sphincter.
Pass On Fizzy Drinks
A University of Arizona study of people with sleep troubles found that 1 in 4 experienced heartburn at night. A key reason: drinking soda. The acidity and carbon dioxide in soft drinks can overwhelm the muscle barrier between the stomach and the esophagus, allowing stomach acid to flow upward, says Ronnie Fass, MD.
Clear The Air
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s yours or someone else’s tobacco smoke—avoid it,” says Francis S. Kleckner, MD. It will relax your sphincter and increase acid production.
Check Your Waistline
The stomach may be compared to a tube of toothpaste, says Kleckner. If you squeeze the tube in the middle, he says, something’s going to come out of the top. A roll of fat around the gut squeezes the stomach much as a hand would squeeze a tube of toothpaste. But what you get is stomach acid.
Loosen Your Belt
Think again of the toothpaste analogy, says Kleckner. “Many people can get relief from heartburn simply by wearing suspenders instead of a belt.”
If You’re Lifting, Bend At The Knees
If you bend at the stomach, you’ll be compressing it, forcing acid upward. “Bend at the knees,” says Kleckner. “It’s not only a way to control acid, it’s also better for your back.”
Check Your Meds
A number of prescription drugs may aggravate heartburn, including those used to treat asthma and breathing difficulties, heart problems, blood pressure, arthritis and inflammation, osteoporosis, certain hormones, chemotherapy, and those that act on the nervous system, according to the National Heartburn Alliance. If you have heartburn and are on a prescription drug, review it with your physician, says Kleckner. MORE: The 8 Worst Foods To Eat At Night
Time Your Meds Right
Over-the-counter antacids and prescription drugs that decrease the flow of acid work better if you take them at bedtime, says Castell.
Don’t Lie Flat
If you lie down, you’ll have gravity working against you. “Water doesn’t travel uphill, and acid doesn’t either,” says Kleckner. To create this effect, elevate the head of your bed 4 to 6 inches. Put blocks under the legs of the bed or slip a wedge under the mattress at the head of the bed. (Extra pillows, however, don’t always do the trick.) Keeping the bed on a slant will discourage heartburn.
Sleep On Your Left Side
The esophagus enters the stomach on your right side. Sleeping on your left prevents remaining food in your stomach from pressing on the opening to the esophagus, which could cause reflux, says Castell.
Take Life A Little Easier
“Stress,” says Klein, “may cause an increase in acid production in the stomach. Some good relaxation techniques may help reduce your level of tension, allowing you to rebalance your unbalanced body chemistry.”
Heartburn Remedies From The Kitchen
An oft-touted remedy for heartburn is 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a half glass of water sipped during a meal. “I’ve used it many times—it definitely works,” says home-remedy expert Betty Shaver. It may sound bizarre to ingest an acid when you have an acid problem, admits Shaver, but there are good acids and bad acids. For the best results, look for unfiltered apple cider vinegar that contains the sediment or the “mother.” (Find out the 4 things that happen when you drink apple cider vinegar before every meal.)
Antacids Are A Helpful Heartburn Remedy
Over-the-counter digestive aids are generally effective and safe. One would hope so; Americans pay billions of dollars a year for these medications. The antacids that got the highest marks from our experts are many of the most common brands—all are made from a mixture of magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide. (One constipates and the other tends to produce diarrhea; combined, they counter each other’s side effects.) Although the mix may be relatively free of side effects, it still is not a good idea to stay on these antacids for more than a month or possibly two, says Kleckner. They are so effective that they could mask a serious problem that requires a physician’s care, he says. Our experts agree that liquid antacids, although not as convenient as tablets, are generally more effective.
Herbal Heartburn Remedies
Walk into your health food store, and chances are you’ll find a number of herbs reputed to fight heartburn. Herb researcher Daniel B. Mowrey, PhD, studied the evidence thoroughly and concluded that some herbal remedies do relieve and prevent heartburn. Ginger. This, says Mowrey, is the most helpful. “I’ve seen it work often enough that I’m convinced,” he says. “We’re not sure how it works, but it seems to absorb the acid and has the secondary effect of calming the nerves.” Take it in capsule form just after you eat. Start with two capsules and increase the dosage as needed. You know you’ve taken enough, says Mowrey, when you start to taste ginger in your throat. MORE: 25 Healing Herbs You Can Use Every Day Bitters. A class of herbs called bitters, used for many years in parts of Europe, is also helpful, Mowrey says. Examples of common bitters are gentian root and goldenseal. “I can vouch that they work,” he says. Bitters can be taken in capsule form or as a liquid extract, just before you eat. Aromatics. The aromatic herbs, such as catnip and fennel, are also reputed to be good for heartburn, but the research on these is sporadic, says Mowrey.
When To Call A Doctor
If you’re experiencing heartburn regularly for no apparent reason, it’s time to call your doctor, says Klein. How regularly? As a basic rule, two or three times a week for more than 4 weeks, says Kleckner. Although heartburn is most usually caused by simple acid reflux, he cautions that it can also be a sign of an ulcer. See a physician right away if any of the following symptoms accompany your heartburn, says Klein. It could mean you’re having a heart attack or other serious disorder.
Difficulty or pain when swallowing Vomiting with blood Bloody or black stools Shortness of breath Dizziness or light-headedness Pain radiating into your neck and shoulder
Panel Of Advisors
Donald Castell, MD, is a professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, and director of the esophageal disorders program at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Ronnie Fass, MD, is a professor of medicine at the University of Arizona Health Science Center in Tucson. Larry I. Good, MD, is a former member of the Long Island Gastrointestinal Disease Group in Merrick, New York. He also was an assistant professor of medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Francis S. Kleckner, MD, is a gastroenterologist in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Samuel Klein, MD, is a William H. Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Timothy McCashland, MD, is an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Daniel B. Mowrey, PhD, is a psychologist who specializes in psychopharmacology and author of Herbal Tonic Therapies, Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, and Guaranteed Potency Herbs: Next Generation Herbal Medicine. Betty Shaver is an herbalist and a lecturer on herbal and other home remedies who is based in Grahamsville, New York.
