Heartburn remedies can range from making small life style changes to prescription medications. The best way to start is to make adjustments in your lifestyle. The first step is to maintain a healthy weight. The excess bulk in the abdomen puts pressure on the stomach. This can push gastric acid back up into the esophagus, or food tube. Consult with your doctor about working to lose weight. Eating smaller meals is another one of the home remedies for heartburn. Do not eat more than your stomach can comfortably digest at one time. If food is packed in there, the gastric acids will have nowhere to go but up. Stop smoking is a common heartburn remedies. Smoking decreases the ability of the lower esophageal sphincter to work properly. This is the part that separates the esophagus from the stomach. If it doesn’t work right, gastric acids can work their way upward.

Some natural remedies for heartburn are common sense. Avoid foods and drinks that trigger heartburn. These foods can be different for each person. Keeping a journal is a common heartburn remedies. Note down when you experience heartburn after a meal. Many people experience it after eating tomatoes or citrus. Avoiding alcohol, coffee, and carbonated drinks are natural remedies for heartburn as well. Do not wear tight fitting clothes. This can include belts and slimming undergarments. These put excess pressure on the abdomen and push things around.

Heartburn remedies deal with sleep as well. Do not eat immediately before going to bed. It is recommended that you wait two or three hours after eating before you lie down. When the stomach is in a prone position, if it is still full, then pressure is put against the esophagus. Another heartburn remedies is to use gravity. Elevate the head of your bed by six to nine inches. There are special feet that can be inserted to accomplish this, but cement and wood blocks work as well. If it is not possible to do this, purchase a wedge that fits between the mattress and box spring for heartburn remedies.

If none of these home remedies for heartburn works, then look to medications for help. Antacids are very common to relieve immediate symptoms. They can break down the acid in the stomach and relieve the pressure. Other heartburn remedies such as nizatidine and ranitidine are available in over the counter products. These do not provide immediate relief, but do help reduce acid production over the long term. To help heal the esophagus, there are products that contain proton pump inhibitors that block acid production. If none of these does the job, then consult your doctor for prescription heartburn remedies.