I have never had a sensitive stomach, but lately I am getting heart burn way too often.

I have noticed that v-8 juice and tomato sauce gives it to me.

What else gives you heart burn?

What is best natural treatment?

Thanks,

d

If the heartburn is relatively mild drinking some milk (including skim) can help fight off heart burn. If it persists you should try over the counter remedies such as: Tums, Rolaids,or Pepto Bismol. In the event that it is happening several times a week you should consider trying a 14 day cycle of Prilosec. Sometimes bready items, especially whole wheat items, can cause heartburn. Tomato based food dishes can also cause discomfort. Hope this helps.

Actually heartburn is an irritation of the esophagus that is caused by stomach acid.
With gravity's help, a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, keeps stomach acid in the stomach. The LES is located where the esophagus meets the stomach -- below the rib cage and slightly left of center. Normally it opens to allow food into the stomach or to permit belching; then it closes again. But if the LES opens too often or does not close tight enough, stomach acid can reflux, or seep, into the esophagus and cause a burning sensation.

The basic cause of heartburn is an underactive lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, that doesn't tighten as it should. Two excesses often contribute to this problem: too much food in the stomach (overeating) or too much pressure on the stomach (frequently from obesity or pregnancy). Certain foods commonly relax the LES, including tomatoes, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, caffeinated products, and peppermint. Dishes high in fats and oils (animal or vegetable) often lead to heartburn, as do certain medications. Stress increases acid production and can cause heartburn. And smoking, which relaxes the LES and stimulates stomach acid, is a major contributor.

Natural prevention is either abstain from the foods listed or if gets worse go see your family doctor. when heartburn hits me I just drink a glass of water or I suck on a plain lozenge or chewing plain gum by doing that you release the natural enzyme in the salvia which helps with heartburn.
God bless
Jerome

Wow! what a thorough and thoughtful response - all of them.

Thank you.

d

I used to take prilosec every single day. Its been2 years since I have taken one. THe remedy - Eating for life and losing weight.

I agree with Dude as I used to suffer allot with acid problems and once I lost weight and followed my diet its gone gone gone.

But you have to remember sometimes it can be more severe than that and losing weight doesn't always help so first and foremost if it persists see a dr. I had a friend that would get heartburn frequently and was told by a member on here that if he followed EFL and lost weight that would be it well he did that and it still persisted when he ask me I told him to go to the dr and it turned out he had Barrett's syndrome so I know everyone means well but we are not DOCTORS so please get checked out if it persists.
God bless
Jerome

I agree Jerome, we are not doctors and if someone has a persistant problem they should have it checked out by a professional. Weight loss worked for me but we are all different and you never know if its a symtom of a larger issue.

I use to get heart burn all the time. I started eating a red apple every night before I went to bed. That really helped. Something in the apple helped the heartburn. Also I started drinking aloe vera juice 2 times a day. It taste nasty but really worked. Just a couple of natural ways.

Great answers from Jerome. I have recurrent issues because I was born with some serious birth defects in the esophageal area. His answers are right on and accurate especially to check it out if it continues. Hope it resolves!!

When we were at Vitamin World, the lady suggested these papaya tablets ... might be worth a shot.

In line with Jerome's very informative reply, I used to have heartburn/reflux for years, and the triggers were all in his list - chocolate, caffeine (from sources other than coffee - I don't drink it.) and fried foods (oil). As I lost fat and ate fewer of these foods, I noticed that I would get fewer attacks - I used to get several a day. I still have a way to go, but my heartburn/reflux problem is gone since I lost my first 35 lbs. Just 25 to go
Oh...I also find that if I do eat one of those foods I mentioned, very soon afterwards, within 15 minutes or so, I will get a bad attack.

Eat clean, exercise consistently and with the good burn and the bad burn will go away.

Mine did.

I had heartburn for years, lived on Tums, could not go anywhere without them. Then I went to a local Back to the Best natural foods store and the owner recommended taking a table spoon of raw sauerkraut just prior to eating something. I did that a few weeks and now miraculously no heart burn. I sometimes need to take a table spoon of plain greek yogurt if I feel some slight burning but rarely. The person who recommended it said we eliminate all the natural digestive acids in our stomach with Prilosec, tums, etc. I am free for the 1st time in at least 30 yrs of the problem. Sue