What is Heartburn? | How to Treat & Prevent HeartBurn?

Hello, hope you all are having a fabulous ramadan. A lot of people have complained of heartburn during ramadan. Therefore, this blog is all about how to address the issue of heartburn. We will be discussing the foods that needs to avoided in order to get rid of heartburn condition and what else needs to be done. Without a further ado, let's get started:

What is heartburn?

It is the burning sensation in your chest that may last for couple of minutes or even hours. Your body tries to push its stomach content back into your esophagus ( tube that connects your stomach and mouth). This reflux movement creates the sensation of burning. 

Why does this happen?

It happens due to overproduction of stomach acid that causes this. 

• Certain foods are responsible for the increased acid production. These foods include
• Acidic Juices ( oranges, grapefruit)
• Acidic Foods ( tomatoes, oranges)
• Caffeine 
• Chocolate
• Carbonated Drinks 
• Aspirin 
• Food high in fat
• Smoking 

Other reasons for heartburn could be hiatal hernia or any other primary disease of the esophagus. 

What can be done to get rid of heartburn? 

Let's talk about how one can treat heartburn or prevent this problem

1- Your meals should be frequent but small. Practice small portion size to prevent any incidence of heartburn. 

2- Don't eat just before bedtime or laying down. At least have, a gap of 2-3 hours

3- Avoid wearing tight fitted garments if you are suffering from heartburn.

4- Avoid high fat meals.

5- Avoid caffeine.

6- Say no to alcohol and smoking. 

7- Lose weight if you are overweight. 

8- Lastly and most importantly, eat a nutritionally balanced diet.