When you least expect it, heartburn enters your life and you need to find something at hand to relieve the misery. Of course, trying to avoid what causes your heartburn is the first step, but we all succumb to overeating, or late night snacking.

The worse time for getting heartburn is at night, especially if you have eaten a large meal later in the evening. It is best to have any large meal four to six hours before going to bed. Four to six hours is a good time for food to digest. If you go to bed with a full stomach, your food probably has not had a chance to be digested and it will lay heavy in your digestive tract and you will have that familiar growling, gas and mean heartburn.

Evaluate your situation

The first thing you need to do is evaluate whether or not you really do have heartburn, because if you think it might be something more serious than simple heartburn, you will need to seek medical help. Most of us know the difference between heartburn brought on by overindulgence or something that feels very different and needs immediate attention. In a perfect world we would consume only the things that are good for us, but some of us have touchy digestive systems, and we need to be aware of what triggers a digestive heartburn problem. So be prudent in your evaluation of the situation.

Natural Home Remedies for Heartburn

There are several foods that alleviate the misery of heartburn, and they can be consumed regularly to avoid heartburn in the first place, or when the malady happens.

Baking Soda

Good old fashioned baking soda, always taken as directed on the package, is a very helpful solution for some folks. It’s not very tasty, but in most cases it is an effective remedy.

Apple Cider Vinegar

If baking soda is not your preference, try a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in an 8 ounce glass of water. This has been known to help immediately, but if it does not, try another teaspoon. White vinegar will work as well also.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice will work in the same manner as vinegar.

Apples

Eating an apple should help with digestion.

Celery

My all time favorite heartburn remedy is a stalk or two of celery. I would not add cream cheese, dip, or peanut butter with it, just eat plain celery. Of course if you are really full, you may want to avoid eating anything else, and take the liquid route.

Position lying down

If you are very uncomfortable lying down with heartburn, try lying on your left side and you may see a very big difference in how you feel.

Additional Tips

Again, you should be aware of what foods do not agree with you, and try to avoid what triggers this unwelcome guest, especially in the evening. Eating an apple a day really does keep the doctor away. On that note, if your heartburn continues and you can not alleviate the symptoms, or if you think you have an emergency, please confer with your medical doctor, or go to your emergency room and seek help there.

Posted by Mike on May 11, 2011 in Home Remedies