
This (and the next remedy) were the most effective for me during pregnancy and I took 2+ tablespoons of fresh lemon juice squeezed into a small amount of water as needed to help avoid heartburn or get rid of it once it hit.

I personally take low dose Betaine HCL with protein containing meals to improve digestion. I know several people who noticed an immediate night and day difference in their heartburn, energy levels and sleep from taking HCL.

These over the counter medications offer relief from the acid in the esophagus, but can actually make the underlying problem of low stomach acid worse, and PPIs and other stronger medications can have more serious long-term effects. Unfortunately, most antacids and other medications offer short term relief at best. Heartburn ReliefĪnyone who has experienced heartburn understands the intense pain it can cause and the absolute need for relief. This can happen more easily for pregnant women, since there is less space in the abdomen and stomach contents can more easily be pushed up. This pushes the stomach contents, including some of the stomach acid, into the esophagus. Food sits in the stomach, creating gas that produces pressure.


When there is not adequate stomach acid to digest a food, the Lower Esophageal Sphincter will not receive this signal and will not close tightly, letting acid and undigested food creep up into the esophagus leading to heartburn and indigestion.Įssentially, the lack of necessary stomach acid slows the digestive process. Stomach acid signals something called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (which separates the stomach and esophagus) to close tightly when the body has enough acid to digest the food that was consumed. Jonathan Wright, a well-known expert in the field of digestive health, explains that 99% of the time, a person suffering from heartburn, CERD or acid reflux has too little stomach acid, not too much. Heartburn is a type of indigestion that is often felt as a burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach acid creeping up into the esophagus.Ĭontrary to common assumption, in most cases heartburn is not caused by too much stomach acid, but often too little.ĭr. From our perspectives (at ages 4 and 6), nothing appeared to be physically wrong, he would just become grumpy after eating.įlash forward a couple decades to my first pregnancy and my first experience with heartburn, and I regretted my lack of sympathy for him (and regretted the tomato salad I had just eaten!). When I was growing up, my Dad would occasionally get heartburn, and my brother and I really never understood why it seemed to bother him so much. Natural Home Remedies for Heartburn + −.
