subject: Heartburn Remedies - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly [print this page] Those who find themselves suffering from symptoms of heartburn on a regular basis or those suffering from severe heartburn need to be extra careful as these may be symptoms of more serious conditions like acid reflux disease and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). GERD and acid reflux disease are not something to take lightly as they can lead to serious health problems including erosion of the esophagus and Barrett's esophagus, which is considered a risk factor for a deadly type of esophagus cancer. The good news is that the right heartburn remedies can also treat and provide relief from the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD.
Home remedies and natural remedies can provide great forms of effective heartburn treatment and heartburn relief in most cases. Heartburn is caused by stomach acid or stomach contents leaking back up into the esophagus causing a burning sensation. Other associated problems can include regurgitation, sore throat and chest pain. However as mentioned above the long term effects of untreated heartburn can be serious or evenly deadly.
The Ugly - Drugs & Medication
Most heartburn symptoms can be treated with natural heartburn remedies. While some doctors may prescribe drugs and medications for heartburn symptoms, there are many serious side effects that can be experienced, not to mention the high cost. And while these drugs for heartburn remedies may provide relief from symptoms, that doesn't mean they are effectively treating your body's health issues.
The Bad - Over the Counter Antacids
While over the counter antacids like Rolaids, Tumms, Maalox, Pepto-Bismol and others may not have been shown to cause the serious side effects of other prescription drugs they are still temporary unnatural fixes that are not treating the real problem or providing long term relief.
In fact, natural heartburn remedies can actually be more effective than antacids precisely because they treat the underlying cause of heartburn rather than temporarily neutralizing the refluxed acid. By learning to treat this disease naturally, you wont have to worry about your heartburn returning.
The Good
Natural heartburn remedies not only provide relief from heartburn symptoms but also help to treat your body by improving whole body health. Improving your overall health will help you prevent developing other health problems as well as help you to look and feel better as well.
Adjusting your diet is normally the biggest factor in reducing heartburn symptoms and is the cornerstone of heartburn remedies. This not only includes eating less food or foods that are traditionally thought of as spicy, but also reducing that amount of highly acidic foods in your diet and replacing them for a higher ratio of alkaline foods. If you don't cut out the causes of heartburn, you cannot expect to cure heartburn. This includes stopping smoking as well as limiting or stopping drinking of alcohol.
Home health remedies include many natural herbs that can be available in natural tablets or can be included in teas or as ingredients in meals. Some home heartburn remedies include baking soda, Aloe Vera juice, apple cider vinegar and foods like bananas which are reported to work as natural antacids.
