Heartburn is the uncomfortable result of stomach acids backing up into the esophagus.? While medicines are widely used to treat heartburn, there are a number of inexpensive home remedies that can be tried before rushing out and spending a healthy sum on a month’s supply of medication.

• First of all, try changing your eating routine a bit. Eat smaller more frequent meals instead of a few giant ones. This helps prevent the buildup of acid and pressure in the stomach from too much food. Also, avoid eating before bed. Gravity helps keep acids where they belong, and lying prostrate allows them into the esophagus if the stomach is full.
• Watch your weight. Extra pounds on the chest and abdomen create pressure build up in the stomach causing reflux.
• Try putting a few pillows under your head when you sleep. This will help gravity do its job. In addition, when napping during the day, sleep in a chair or in a semi-upright position.
• Stop smoking. Heartburn is only one of the many health issues caused by smoking.
• Watch what you eat. Certain foods can trigger heartburn. Garlic, caffeine, alcohol, citrus and onion are a few common triggers. Monitor what sets you off and then stay away from that food.
• Don’t wear clothes that are too tight. They put pressure on the abdomen, causing acid to back up into the esophagus.
• Avoid medications known to cause heartburn, like calcium, iron, potassium and NSAID pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
• Drink a glass of water. This helps dilute the stomach acids and flush contents through the system.
• Chew gum. Your body responds similarly to drinking water when chewing gum. Excess saliva helps flush your stomach contents and dilute acids.
• Ginger is an effective natural remedy for many stomach conditions, including heartburn. When taken in pill form, as tea, or candied it can help treat and prevent heartburn.
• Fennel or chamomile tea, when sipped warm, can help soothe acid reflux.
• Milk can help absorb stomach acids, but should be used in moderation as it also contains fats that are difficult to digest and causes acid production.
• Papaya contains a helpful digestive enzyme that aides in the breakdown of foods. When taken before meals, it helps prevent the buildup of pressure in the stomach.
• Glutamine, an amino acid, can help heal damage done to the esophagus as a result of frequent acid reflux and eliminate damaged cells.
• Just a few tablespoons of undiluted apple cider vinegar can eliminate heartburn. When diluted in water, it acts as a preventative.
• Just a handful of almonds contain soothing oils that help relieve heartburn.
• Unflavored yogurt has helpful bacteria that aid in the healing process of the esophagus and helps tighten esophageal muscles.

For more ideas on natural heartburn remedies, please see our Reflux Remedy Report.

I once saw my best friend go through a hiatal hernia attack, which put us both into a state of panic. What do you do when your friend suddenly acts like he?s dying but nobody knows what?s wrong.

He was choking up meat he had just eaten within the hour and had trouble breathing in. I could see the pain and pressure was freaking him out, the look in his eyes and the recurring spasms of violent choking had concerned me as well.

I would have called an ambulance, but he insisted it was over, then it would start again and again- it was nerve racking to say the least, for both of us.

I kept asking him questions, but he could hardly talk. I could tell my asking questions was about the most irritating thing I could be doing, because he obviously had trouble talking as well. There?s nothing like being interviewed while you feel like your choking to death, or dying from a heart attack- we didn?t know.

In between his hiatal hernia attacks all I could do is get on the Internet to see what I could learn fast.

I had never understood what a hernia was, but it didn?t take me long to match the symptoms he was having with the definition of hiatal hernia. Of course, when I told him I thought he was suffering from symptoms of a hiatal hernia, he just looked at me like I was out of my mind.

The situation was bad, he couldn?t relax, sit down or lay down at all, he just kept pacing, leaning against the wall holding his chest area or rushing to the bathroom to choke up his lunch bit by bit.

Today I could recognize the symptoms of hiatal hernia a mile away and now I understand why a hernia caused all those symptoms.

Once I ?Googled? the correct information about hiatal hernia symptoms, I had him dropping his heels, jumping on his wife?s exercise trampoline and finally stretching backwards over her giant grape purple yoga ball . . . and it worked like a charm.

The bouncing and stretching allowed gravity to do its trick, restoring his stomach, esophagus and diaphragm back to their original positions, below in his chest cavity.

Here?s some extra advice for those of you with hiatal hernia symptoms . . . make sure you chew your food better. It?s better for you because the digestive process starts in the mouth as enzymes and saliva to help break down the size and bulk of your food to make it easier on your gut to digest.

When the esophagus or stomach slides or rolls past the diaphragm and bulges upward in your chest cavity, there may be undigested food in that area that can?t go back down below the diaphragm muscle junction. So the better you chewed it, the easier it may be for you to swallow or eliminate any obstructive food stuff.

My friend was very fortunate the food trapped in his throat area didn?t go down his wind pipe . . .I?m sure under the circumstances his hiatal hernias symptoms would have been fatal.

Not a choice way to sign off in my book, especially on my shift!

Let?s review the symptoms published by the Mayo clinic:

• Heartburn
• Belching
• Chest pain
• Nausea

If you have hiatal hernia symptoms chew your food, walk and jump more and keep a giant grape purple yoga ball around just in case, of course the grape purple color is optional.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist

A modified diet for severe Gerd is necessary when acids produced by the stomach begin entering the esophagus. The food that we eat travels through our mouth down the esophagus, and to the stomach. The stomach and esophagus are joined at the LES or lower esophageal sphincter. The LES opens up to enable food to enter the stomach. The sphincter normally closes to prevent stomach juices and food to move back to the esophagus.

The stomach produces certain digestive enzymes and juices that aid in digestion. The digestive track also possesses special mechanisms to protect it from damages caused by these enzymes and juices. However, the esophagus itself does not possess such defensive mechanisms and hence it is essential for the LES to close and prevent the juices from reaching the esophagus. Normally, some amounts of the stomach bile go back to the esophagus. However, if excess amounts of acid accumulate inside the esophagus it causes Gerd. People suffering from Gerd experience abnormal behavior of LES. Either it does not close properly or it opens up wrong moment. Severe Gerd can result in ulcers, the narrowing and damaging of the esophagus, and even bleeding.

It is vital to have a proper diet for severe Gerd. The diet should be combination of foods that are easily digestible and low in food which will help in weight reduction if you are obese. Avoid foods that worsen the condition including tomato, alcohol, caffeinated drinks, peppermint, chocolate and deep fried foods. These kinds of foods normally weaken the LES or fuel your stomach to produce more acid than necessary. Avoid mustard, garlic, spices, citrus fruits, vinegar and aerated beverages at any cost.

One of the best ways to end the severe effects of Gerd is to eat in moderation while switching to highly nutritious and low fat foods. It is effective to eat in small proportions, consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol, restrict sodium intake to 2400 mg per day and count calories when you eat. Do not eat more than the daily caloric intake limit recommended for your body. Not every food will trigger Gerd symptoms in your body. Mark the kind of food that specifically fuels Gerd in your body and avoid them.

It is also important to eat timely and eat in small proportions instead of having large meals, and always leave a generous amount of time between meals and sleep. Acid travels easily into the esophagus when you are lying down, so try walking after you eat. For overweight people it is important to exercise every day to reduce weight.

Include poultry, whole grains, pears, bananas, fish, lean meat and low fat food in your diet for severe Gerd, as well as skimmed milk and plenty of water. It is most important to eat the right combination food at the right time. Do not put pressure on your stomach by stuffing it with excess food, and avoid combining foods that require both the alkaline enzymes and stomach juices to work simultaneously. This leads to weak digestion and increased Gerd symptoms.

For many people, the search for an acid heartburn treatment that actually works and provides long-term relief seems hopeless. There are many over-the-counter medications that do provide temporary relief, but an acid heartburn treatment that really gets rid of the condition for good can seem impossible to find.

One of the most effective heartburn treatment methods around is not only readily available, but it is free for anyone who is willing to make the necessary adjustments. The method involves simply making a few lifestyle changes, and sticking to a daily meal plan. It may be hard to believe that GERD and other related conditions can be treated without any medications?over-the-counter or otherwise?but the multitude of people that have gotten satisfactory results is a testament to the fact that eating better actually works. Here then are some heartburn treatment methods that involve general lifestyle changes.

Eat smaller meals more frequently

This is one method that works for losing weight as an acid heartburn treatment. The reason this is so effective is because large meals tend to cause expansion of the stomach, increasing pressure against the esophagus. By limiting the amount of food you eat and increasing the number of meals you have during the day, you greatly reduce the risk of pressure build up on the esophagus.

Avoid foods and beverages that cause the over production of stomach acids

Caffeine and spicy foods are the most commonly known culprits in this category, but food such as citrus and tomatoes may bring about an attack as well. Coffee, tea and soda should be taken in moderation?or eliminated entirely in more severe heartburn cases?while acidic foods are best avoided while the symptoms are still present.

Do not lie down immediately after eating

It appears this old trick may have some truth to it, as lying down too soon after eating may actually cause the digestive acids to seep up into the esophagus, setting off the characteristic symptoms of heartburn. In general, it is best to wait for two hours after a heavy meal before lying down. For the same reason, it is also a good idea to keep your head slightly elevated when you sleep.

A good source of acid heartburn treatment methods is the Reflux Remedy Report, which can be found online. The guide is chock full of tips and advice on how to treat GERD, acid heartburn, and various other related conditions quickly, safely and effectively. Since the tips outlined in the report are all natural, you won’t have to worry about experiencing any of the side effects associated with over-the-counter medications. With the Reflux Remedy Report, you will find the acid heartburn treatment method that will produce the best results for you.