Occasional Heartburn Prevention
December 12, 2009
It is estimated that nearly 25 percent people experience heartburn at least once in a month. Usually occasional heartburn does not cause any serious health problem. However, if occasional heartburn persists for a longtime, it can lead to chronic heartburn and serious gastrointestinal complications. If you are careful with your eating habit, you can prevent occasional heartburn.
Avoid foods that cause heartburn
The easiest way to prevent occasional heartburn is to avoid foods that trigger heartburn. Foods that stimulate excess acid secretion in your stomach are usually associated with occasional heartburn. However, different people might respond differently to different foods. Foods that trigger heartburn in you might not cause heartburn in others. Determining your specific food triggers is imperative for preventing occasional heartburns.
Fatty foods, acidic fruits such as lime, oranges and grapes, tomatoes, chocolate, pepper, mustard, spices, mint and carbonated beverages are some common foods associated with acid triggers. To prevent occasional heartburn avoid these foods, or take these foods, especially citrus fruits in moderation.
Avoid large meals
Overeating is one of the major causes of occasional heartburn. Small meals could help to prevent occasional heartburn.
Modify lifestyle
Your unhealthy lifestyle could be responsible for occasional heartburn. To prevent heartburn, quit smoking. Moderate intake of alcohol and caffeine could reduce the risk of heartburn. Do not go to bed after having a large meal. To prevent the late night heartburn, have your dinner at least two hours before going to bed. Also, avoid late night snacks. Do not skip meals. Being obese or overweight could delay digestion and cause heartburn. To prevent occasional heartburn keep your body mass index below 24.9.
Check intake of painkillers
Pain relief medications sometime cause heartburn. Consult your doctor, before taking these medicines.
Occasional heartburn remedies
You can use over-the-counter antacids for treating occasional heartburn. Although these medications provide fast relief, but their effect is usually short lived. You can try natural remedies for treating occasional heartburn. These home remedies made from natural ingredients do not have any adverse side effect. To treat occasional heartburn, you can eat a slice of ginger. After having a large or spicy meal, eat a few slices of ripe papaya or cucumber.
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