Heartburn at Night - Do You Suffer From Nighttime Heartburn?
Most people have experienced heartburn at some time in their lives.
It is aptly named as that is how it is, a burning in the heart area.
That burning that seems at times to be constantly there, from the base of your throat down to your stomach.
You can get relief with over the counter products for a short time, there are many of these products on the market, so sufferers try until they get one that suits them.
Nighttime heartburn has caused many a sleepless night and trying to sleep in uncomfortable positions, just to get some relief.
Our lifestyles can contribute to our heartburn, stress, types of foods like processed and spicy, an increase in obesity and diabetes could be contributing factors as well.
No matter where or how you get heartburn most sufferers will experience nighttime heartburn.
There is a small valve, controlled by a little muscle, situated where the top of the stomach leads up to the esophagus.
In some people, this little muscle weakens and causes the valve to stay open after food passes through, it should close then but the strength has diminished so the open valve allows the acid from the stomach to escape.
The only it can go is up and as acid burns, this is why you get the burning sensation all the way up to your throat and often times further.
This is a very painful and uncomfortable feeling.
One of the main reasons nighttime heartburn is more of a problem is the fact that the body is in a prone position, so the acid has a very easy path to travel and cause the discomfort.
Many nighttime heartburn sufferers will have their bed raised at the head end or sleep with extra pillows so they are not lying so flat.
This can help.
What Doesn't Help Nighttime Heartburn.
Over-indulging at dinner is a bad thing to do, if you are a sufferer of heartburn at night.
Eating spicy foods, wine, anything that you know will trigger the heartburn for you, you should avoid.
Smaller meals at night and not going to bed before you have given your meal time to settle, will help.
If at all possible, eat smaller meals more often.
Instead of the usual three meals in a day, to start with try, four and then five and the ideal is six.
You will still be having the same amount of food, so you won't go hungry.
You will be asking your body to process the smaller amounts of food, not a big amount each time.
With the acid traveling up and down your esophagus, this can lead to other problems such as ulcers, which in themselves, is another problem altogether that you don't want.
You need your nighttime heartburn checked out and treated.
Treatment Plans If you are a person who has this condition all the time then you should seek medical advice.
Your doctor can arrange for tests for you to determine the problem and there are surgery procedures that can help.
These days it is mainly done by the keyhole method surgery so is non-intrusive.
If you only suffer nighttime heartburn then there are some excellent medications on the market.
If what you can purchase over the counter is not working for you, then go see your doctor and he can prescribe a medication that is stronger and may work better for you.
if the first prescribed medication doesn't work as well for you, then go back and let your doctor know and he can either adjust the dose to try another medication.
If you try the herbal remedies and they work for you then great, do what works for you after all, it is your nighttime heartburn.
If heartburn is with you all the time, not just nighttime heartburn, then you definitely should seek help from your medical practitioner.
Change of diet, adjusted meal sizes, no matter how much you love a food or beverage, if you are getting nighttime heartburn after partaking of it, then wean yourself off it, your esophagus will thank you.
Take part in some exercise program, one that won't aggravate your condition, something like yoga or water aerobics, not a lot of stress on the body but exercising the muscles inside and out.
Anyone who has suffered nighttime heartburn and through exercise, sensible eating and the right medication, be it from a doctor or naturopath, and gets their first good night's sleep without the burning problem, will wake up a different person.
I hope that will happen to you.
It is aptly named as that is how it is, a burning in the heart area.
That burning that seems at times to be constantly there, from the base of your throat down to your stomach.
You can get relief with over the counter products for a short time, there are many of these products on the market, so sufferers try until they get one that suits them.
Nighttime heartburn has caused many a sleepless night and trying to sleep in uncomfortable positions, just to get some relief.
Our lifestyles can contribute to our heartburn, stress, types of foods like processed and spicy, an increase in obesity and diabetes could be contributing factors as well.
No matter where or how you get heartburn most sufferers will experience nighttime heartburn.
There is a small valve, controlled by a little muscle, situated where the top of the stomach leads up to the esophagus.
In some people, this little muscle weakens and causes the valve to stay open after food passes through, it should close then but the strength has diminished so the open valve allows the acid from the stomach to escape.
The only it can go is up and as acid burns, this is why you get the burning sensation all the way up to your throat and often times further.
This is a very painful and uncomfortable feeling.
One of the main reasons nighttime heartburn is more of a problem is the fact that the body is in a prone position, so the acid has a very easy path to travel and cause the discomfort.
Many nighttime heartburn sufferers will have their bed raised at the head end or sleep with extra pillows so they are not lying so flat.
This can help.
What Doesn't Help Nighttime Heartburn.
Over-indulging at dinner is a bad thing to do, if you are a sufferer of heartburn at night.
Eating spicy foods, wine, anything that you know will trigger the heartburn for you, you should avoid.
Smaller meals at night and not going to bed before you have given your meal time to settle, will help.
If at all possible, eat smaller meals more often.
Instead of the usual three meals in a day, to start with try, four and then five and the ideal is six.
You will still be having the same amount of food, so you won't go hungry.
You will be asking your body to process the smaller amounts of food, not a big amount each time.
With the acid traveling up and down your esophagus, this can lead to other problems such as ulcers, which in themselves, is another problem altogether that you don't want.
You need your nighttime heartburn checked out and treated.
Treatment Plans If you are a person who has this condition all the time then you should seek medical advice.
Your doctor can arrange for tests for you to determine the problem and there are surgery procedures that can help.
These days it is mainly done by the keyhole method surgery so is non-intrusive.
If you only suffer nighttime heartburn then there are some excellent medications on the market.
If what you can purchase over the counter is not working for you, then go see your doctor and he can prescribe a medication that is stronger and may work better for you.
if the first prescribed medication doesn't work as well for you, then go back and let your doctor know and he can either adjust the dose to try another medication.
If you try the herbal remedies and they work for you then great, do what works for you after all, it is your nighttime heartburn.
If heartburn is with you all the time, not just nighttime heartburn, then you definitely should seek help from your medical practitioner.
Change of diet, adjusted meal sizes, no matter how much you love a food or beverage, if you are getting nighttime heartburn after partaking of it, then wean yourself off it, your esophagus will thank you.
Take part in some exercise program, one that won't aggravate your condition, something like yoga or water aerobics, not a lot of stress on the body but exercising the muscles inside and out.
Anyone who has suffered nighttime heartburn and through exercise, sensible eating and the right medication, be it from a doctor or naturopath, and gets their first good night's sleep without the burning problem, will wake up a different person.
I hope that will happen to you.