Just about everyone has experienced heartburn at some time or another during their life and many have sought out natural heartburn cures. Heartburn is a common name for acid reflux. People usually feel a burning pain in their chest that spreads upward to their neck. They may also experience bloating, belching and nausea. Heartburn can be an occasional incident after a heavy meal or extremely spicy one, or a frequent occurrence that is disruptive to daily life.

When you swallow food, it passes through your esophagus and into your stomach.? The stomach contains acids which digest the food. There is a muscle between your stomach and esophagus that opens to allow the food into the stomach and closes after the food has passed through. If this muscle doesn’t operate properly, the food and stomach acid can back up into your esophagus causing pain and discomfort in the form of acid reflux or heartburn.

There are as many remedies for heartburn as there are sufferers. Unfortunately, there is no one cure that works for every one. People need to learn their bodies and figure out what triggers their attacks. Sometimes it is a particular food. Caffiene is a common culprit.? Onions and citrus are others.? So if a person can determine their personal food trigger, they can easily solve their problem by avoiding that food.

However, when a change in diet isn?t an option, people sometimes reach forhome remedies. Drinking a bit of apple cider vinegar and water prior to a meal can help prevent the onset of heartburn. ?Also, eating a smaller meal can help prevent too much acid and pressure from building in the stomach.? Refraining from eating less than two hours before bed can also help keep stomach acids out of the esophagus and in the stomach where they belong.

If heartburn is already in full force, there are a number of natural things you can try.? Eating an apple has been found to be surprisingly successful in relieving heartburn pain.? Also, all forms of ginger, including candied and teas help to settle an upset stomach.? Papaya contains an enzyme that helps the body?s digestion process, which prevents uncomfortable pressure from building in the stomach.? Something as simple as drinking a glass of water can also eliminate heartburn pain, as it flushes unwanted acids through the digestive system.? Also, sitting up, or if heartburn is happening at night, sleeping on an extra pillow helps keep the head aligned properly with the stomach, making sure acids stay down.

Natural remedies are often preferable to over the counter medications or prescription drugs because of their low cost and convince.? Most people don?t need to run to the drug store to get a glass of water, and things like apples and ginger are significantly less expensive than a daily prescription routine.

For more natural heartburn cures, visit www.refluxremedy.com and read The Reflux Remedy Report.? The natural cure that will work for you could be there, so don?t wait!

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

An unfortunate condition often signified by the stresses of modern day is acid reflux and the disease GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). This is caused by a failure of the esophagus’ sphincter, which is responsible for keeping acid down in the stomach and not up in the throat. Symptoms include frequent painful heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, regurgitation of acid, chest pain and tightness, bad breath, and frequent swallowing.

Another GERD-related disease has arisen in recent medical news and it goes by the name of acid reflux and exertion. It has been called EAGER (exertion associated estro-esophageal reflux), by Dr. Steven Peikin, a Professor of Medicine at Robert Woods Johnson Hospital. EAGER is excessive acid related to physical activities, most often the types associated with exertion, such as running or jogging, or any activity that will have you bouncing up and down.

In a recent study (sponsored by Pepcid), it was noted that 75% of baby boomers, men and women alike, experience heartburn at least occasionally, with 31% reporting instances of heartburn at least weekly. The same study indicates that occasional sufferers of heartburn will experience it 15% of the time when they exercise, with weekly sufferers likely to experience heartburn 45% of the time when they are exercising. An estimated 16 million Americans have their exercise interrupted by heartburn that may be caused by acid reflux and exertion, with non-sufferers getting to exercise 106 times a year, and sufferers only 85 times per year, on average.

It is an unfortunate, ironic symptom, the fact that many people who seek exercise as a means to improve their health are often prevented from effective exercise because of a health problem. It is often the jostling of the body that causes the stomach contents, including corrosive stomach acid, to move vigorously within the confines of the stomach. It may jostle stomach acid even more energetically up against the esophageal sphincter, causing it even further stress, especially in a GERD sufferer. A ?normal? person will probably not be affected by this jostling, but it can wreak havoc in the stomachs of GERD or acid reflux sufferers, adding acid reflux to their list of ailments.

The usual remedies may help with GERD symptoms, and therefore may help with EAGER symptoms (acid reflux and exertion): Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol; try chamomile or peppermint tea after meals; limit meals to smaller portions several times a day instead of a couple of big meals; avoid fatty and salty foods; try Aloe Vera gel or Milk of Magnesia as stomach balms. Specifically for EAGER sufferers, try less strenuous exercises (that would have you bouncing up and down less) such as swimming or bike-riding.

These homeopathic remedies may be tried first, in lieu of a prescription, if your doctor okays it. Be aware that OTC acid reflux, GERD and heartburn medications are only recommended for a limited amount of time (usually two weeks). After that time, it is recommended that you take a break before starting the regimen again. Even Rolaids or Tums are not recommended for extended use. If you do try an OTC remedy or have a prescription, make sure it has an acid reducer in addition to a stomach soothing agent.