REFLUX - How to get rid of heartburn

Is heartburn the same thing as reflux? 

And what is the best way to treat it?

Reflux is commonly known as heartburn as it strikes in the chest and can feeling frighteningly like a heart attack. Known medically as gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), reflux occurs when the stomach contents – food and liquid – leak out of the stomach up into the oesophagus. 

The issue is not with an excess of stomach acid, although it may feel that way, but with a defect in the closing of the oesophageal sphincter that separates the stomach from the oesophagus. By design the sphincter should keep a tight seal, only allowing food and drink to travel in a downwards direction, not the reverse.  Symptoms can include the feeling of food being stuck or a lump behind the sternum (breast bone) and a burning or acidic sensation in the sternum and up into the throat. 

Many women experience reflux during pregnancy. This is due in part to the hormones that relax smooth muscle (in this case the oesophageal sphincter) and also later in the pregnancy due to the upward pressure from the baby on the stomach. 

A hiatus hernia often causes reflux – this is when part of the stomach is forced through a small opening (a hiatus) in the diaphragm into the chest. Reflux is also a common symptom of that old friend, stress.

What to do

Several foods trigger reflux, including alcohol, chocolate, coffee, spicy foods, tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers and citrus fruits. Not all these foods will cause symptoms. Become acquainted with your triggers and avoid them.

Peppermint is usually great for any digestive disorder. However, for some people, peppermint can relax the oesophageal sphincter and trigger reflux. While you’re off your coffee and alcohol, why not drink herbal teas that help reflux? Choose a tea from one or more of the following delicious herbs: licorice root, ginger, chamomile, meadowsweet and lemon balm. Slippery elm is an absolute must when treating reflux. It soothes and heals. Take a teaspoon of slippery elm powder before or with each meal, mashed with a little yoghurt, banana or in hot water.  

Source: http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/