Home | Health
You probably know of 'Grandma's Remedy' of a little baking soda in a glass of water to soothe the burning sensation of heartburn or acid reflux. But before you try this, you need to know some things about using baking soda or any antacid as a heartburn remedy. What Is Heartburn and How Can Baking Soda Help? Some people suffer heartburn after eating too quickly or eating particular foods. It results from a little stomach acid squirting up into your esophagus, which is the tube that leads from your mouth to your stomach. This ‘acid reflux’ irritates the walls of the esophagus resulting in a burning sensation. It actually has nothing to do with the heart but because the burning is felt in the chest area, it was referred to as ‘heartburn’. Symptoms of heartburn can mask the more serious symptoms of heart disease so it is important to find the causes of the acid reflux and eliminate them. You often only need to sip a little water for mild heartburn to dilute the acid and cool the burning sensation. Saliva produced in the mouth can also help and being naturally alkaline, can neutralize the acid. Just chew a stick of gum to get the saliva flowing. However, baking soda for heartburn is such an effective remedy because it too is alkaline and will help to neutralize the acid. Just one teaspoon in a glass of water, sipped slowly, should bring adequate relief. The benefits of baking soda over antacids, is that you can buy it from any food store, it is cheap and it does not require a prescription. And if you bake cookies, then you have a ready supply already! Why Not To Over-Use Baking Soda and Antacids If you take too much baking soda, or any antacid medication, then you start to neutralize the acid in the stomach. The stomach then compensates by producing more acid, leading to you taking more baking soda or antacid. This can exhaust the stomach cells and so the levels of stomach acid can drop over time. You might think this is a good thing for your heartburn, but reduced levels of stomach acid can impair digestion to such an extent that food is not properly broken down. Allergies and inflammation in various areas of the body can be the result. Additionally, if you suffer from high blood pressure, then you do not want the excess sodium, which is present in baking soda and many antacids. Over-the-counter antacids can also contain calcium and magnesium which can cause mineral imbalances in the body if used long-term. Aluminum salts are present in some antacids and aluminum has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. If you suffer from frequent heartburn, you should consult your doctor. It is also worth noting that some medical conditions or medicines can weaken the esophageal sphincter and cause acid reflux. If you are taking anxiety medication, calcium channel blockers for hypertension, antihistamines, asthma medication, nitrates, or prescription pain killers, let your doctor know when heartburn becomes a side effect. Antacid medication and baking soda are not long term solutions to your heartburn. Your priority now should be to discover the causes and solutions to your acid reflux. These might surprise you. The cure for your heartburn and the solutions to your long term health could be the exact opposite of what you might expect.
Article Source: http://www.content-corral.com
About the author: Natalie Beech is a health writer who writes informatively about heartburn. Discover surprising information about heartburn and acid reflux at The Heartburn Relief Website Don't reprint the same version as everyone else. Get your own unique content heartburn article here.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
