Cures For Heartburn
Cures for heartburn should start with reversing a hiatus hernia. A common cause for developing heartburn is the development of a hiatus hernia.
Heartburn occurs when hydrochloric acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which are a ring of muscles at the end of the esophagus is supposed to close and stop this from happening.
A hiatus hernia occurs when the stomach is pushed up through the diaphragm up into the esophagus and next to it, which compromises the LES’s ability to keep the hydrochloric acid out of the esophagus.
This either keeps the LES open and allows for the free travel of hydrochloric acid into the esophagus, or the hydrochloric acid is kept close enough to the LES to allow seepage into the esophagus.
The most common reason for developing a hiatus hernia is straining of the abdominal muscles when defecating. The abdominals often strain to pass short and hard stool, which develops from eating diets low in fiber.
The extra pressure needed to pass short and hard stool causes the abdominals to push the stomach upwards, and this pressure eventually leads to the stomach being pushed up into the chest cavity through a whole in the diaphragm called the hiatus.
The consumption of a diet high in fiber (plant-centered diet) is necessary for the formation of long and short stool that easier to pass from the body. This will take pressure of the abdominals and will minimize the amount of upward pushing of the stomach.
This will allow the stomach to sink back to its original position. Sitting in the position described in the video will straighten the angle at the opening of the anus and will also allow stool the move out more easily.
You can also use physical therapy to also help push the stomach down out of the esophagus and out of the diaphragm.
You can address curing the common cause of heartburn by reversing a hiatus hernia, and you can address treating heartburn symptoms by modifying certain activities.
- Don’t eat larger meals that will fill the stomach and bring acid closer to the LES
- Minimize or eliminate the consumption of acid foods: meat, diary, processed foods
- Avoid spicy and fatty foods
- Increase the consumption of alkaline foods: leafy greens
- Don’t lay down immediately after a meal which will bring food closer to the LES
- Minimize the consumption of citrus fruits and eat fruits like watermelon or bananas instead.
- Don’t drink alcohol
- Don’t smoke cigarettes
- Avoid drinking carbonated drinks, tea, and coffee
- Avoid consuming chocolate, garlic, mint and peppermint, onions
