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7 Easy Remedies to Soothe Nighttime Heartburn and Indigestion
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!
1howto.com
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