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At Home Mommy : Resources For Stay at Home and Work at Home Mommies
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Easy Prevention For Heartburn:
Block the problem. Acid in your stomach helps digest food, but your body
makes much more than it needs. Shutting down production of this
stinging stuff means there will be less of it swishing around in
your stomach, just waiting to wash upward and burn your esophagus.
Take an antacid. Over-the-counter antacids in tablet or liquid form
can help cool the burn. Take a dose about every six hours as needed.
Don't overdo it, though, because too much antacid can cause
constipation or diarrhea.
Don't forget your bedtime dose. Even if you forget to take an
antacid during the day, you should try to remember to take one at
bedtime if you suffer from frequent heartburn. You need to protect
your esophagus from the pooling of stomach acids that commonly
occurs at night, when you are horizontal for hours on end. Heartburn
that occurs during the night causes more damage than daytime
heartburn.
Keep your head up. Another way to protect your esophagus while you
sleep is to elevate the head of your bed. That way, you'll be
sleeping on a slope, and gravity will work for you in keeping your
stomach contents where they belong. Put wooden blocks under the legs
at the head of your bed to raise it about six inches.
Get rid of your waterbed. In a waterbed, your body basically lies
flat on the water-filled mattress. You can't effectively elevate
your chest and therefore can't prevent your stomach contents from
spilling out into your esophagus.
Say no to a post-dinner snooze. Tempting as it may look, the couch
is not your friend after you eat a meal. People who lie down with a
full stomach are asking for trouble. Wait at least an hour before
you lie down.
Don't eat before bed. Avoid bedtime snacks. In fact, it's best if
you can wait two to three hours -- the time it takes the stomach to
empty -- after a meal to go to bed. While you're waiting, stay
upright.
Pass on seconds. A stomach ballooned by too much food and drink may
partly empty in the wrong direction.
Lose the fat. Abdominal fat pressing against the stomach can force
the contents back up.
Look forward to delivery. Pregnancy can cause heartburn,
particularly in the third trimester when your growing baby is
pushing up against your stomach. If you still have heartburn after
making lifestyle changes, such as eating smaller meals, talk with
your doctor about taking an antacid.
Don't smoke. Nicotine from cigarette smoke irritates the valve
between the stomach and the esophagus, as well as the stomach
lining, so smokers tend to get more heartburn.
Be careful of coffee. The caffeine in coffee relaxes the esophageal
sphincter, which can lead to reflux. But even decaffeinated coffee
may cause reflux problems: Research suggests the oils contained in
both regular and decaffeinated coffee may play a role in heartburn.
Experiment to see if cutting your coffee intake lessens your
heartburn.
Be wary of peppermint. For some people, peppermint seems to cause
heartburn. Try skipping the after-dinner mints and see if it helps.
Take it easy. Stress can prompt increased acid secretion and cause
the esophageal sphincter to malfunction.
Skip the cocktail. Alcohol can relax the sphincter and irritate the
stomach, too, which can lead to reflux.
Slow down on soda. The carbon dioxide in soda pop and other bubbly
drinks can cause stomach distention, which can push the contents of
the stomach up into the esophagus.
Check your painkiller. If you're about to pop a couple of aspirin in
your mouth, think again. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and products that
contain them can burn the esophagus as well as the stomach. Opt for
acetaminophen for pain relief.
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