You Don't Have to Live With Constant Heartburn
Constant heartburn is a very common problem, one that affects millions of people worldwide, but one that you do not have to deal with. Before you can learn how to deal with your constant heartburn however, you are going to have to understand the condition more and determine how severe your particular condition is.
What is Heartburn?
Heartburn is caused when stomach acid refluxes back up into the stomach and causes pain in the chest and throat. It is caused for a number of different reasons, including a hiatal hernia, eating large meals or eating shortly before bedtime, and eating certain foods such as chocolate, fried and fatty foods, coffee, alcohol, and sugary foods.
Dealing With Heartburn
If you have constant heartburn, you may almost feel as though you are debilitated because the pain can be so severe. There are things that you can do to deal with constant heartburn however, and there are a few treatments in particular that you may want to try first.
Obviously the first step is to begin avoiding the triggers that cause your heartburn in the first place. If there are certain foods that you know leave you with heartburn, simply stop eating them or at least lessen the amount that you are consuming.
Another idea is to have your head raised while you are sleeping, so keep a couple of pillows under your head and neck when you go to bed at night and this will help to keep the acid reflux from making its way up into your esophagus.
There are also medications which range from being mild to severe which can help with constant heartburn, and there are antacids for one, which are one of the mildest forms of medicine for treating heartburn. They work by neutralizing the acid that is produced in the stomach, and for many people are enough relief for their heartburn that they do not need to take any further measures.
There are many others however for which antacids are not powerful enough, and in these cases further steps will need to be taken. Depending on the severity of your condition your doctor may want you to take some prescription medicine, but you will need to be very cautious if you are starting on these, and make sure that you do not stop taking them abruptly without your doctor's recommendation because this may cause your body to go through a withdrawal period.
