Preventing Heartburn – 11 Lifestyle Tips to Get Rid of the Burning Feeling

Heartburn or the burning feeling is typically caused by stomach acid leaking into the esophagus. To stop this, it’s important to reduce acid reflux, which could have been caused by eating foods high in fat, sugar, or acid, or lying down immediately after eating or due to smoking.

Heartburn is an uncomfortable burning sensation that can range from mild to severe. It occurs when the sphincter muscle of the stomach does not close correctly. This condition can happen suddenly or gradually. Either way, it is an uncomfortable feeling and needs to be relieved with some crucial lifestyle changes, some of which are listed below: 

1. Chew Gum – Chewing gum is a natural way to soothe a sore throat by stimulating your salivary glands, which produce saliva and moisten your throat. Saliva also contains enzymes that help digest food, so chewing gum actually helps your body process digestion and prevent heartburn.
2. Sleep On Your Left Side – Side sleeping on the left is one of the best things you can do to prevent heartburn. While it’s true that factors like stress can also contribute to heartburn, sleeping on your left side can actually prevent heartburn and acid reflux by facilitating proper digestion. Caring for your acid reflux and gut requires a multi-faceted approach, including lifestyle changes, medications, and, of course, getting to the root of the underlying cause.
3. Elevate The Head of Your Bed – Heartburn is an uncomfortable condition, and there’s not much you can do about it. However, you can prevent its occurrence by elevating the head of your bed frame. Heartburn is typically caused by stomach acid coming up into the esophagus, causing painful burning and discomfort. By elevating your head space, you can stop this from happening. 
4. Eat Dinner Earlier – Overeating before bed is a common culprit of heartburn for many people, and while it can be difficult to avoid, it is possible to reduce the frequency of heartburn from occurring by making a simple change— having dinner in the evening instead of late at night.
5. Opt For Cooked Onions Instead of Raw – Many of us suffer from heartburn on a regular basis, but did you know that certain food choices like raw onions for instance can increase your risk of getting heartburn? The best thing to do is to avoid them altogether. However, if you can’t, opt for cooked onions instead of raw ones.
6. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals – Heartburn is a common ailment, but it can easily be prevented. When meals are too large, acidic foods can linger in the stomach and cause heartburn. But eating smaller, more frequent meals can prevent stomach acid from lingering and causing heartburn. The less time food spends in the stomach, the less chance that it will create heartburn. Meanwhile, take a sip or two of water if you start to feel the burning sensation.
7. Maintain A Moderate Weight – This condition can cause unpleasant symptoms such as a bitter or sour taste in the mouth, nausea, a feeling of pressure in the chest, and coughing. The cause of heartburn is different for each person and may include smoking, eating too much, too much alcohol, and being overweight or obese, along with eating certain types of foods, such as greasy or fatty foods. 
8. Limit Your Alcohol Intake – Two most common triggers for acid reflux are fatty foods and alcohol. While any amount of fatty foods can contribute to heartburn, both drinking and fatty foods together can increase the chances even more.
9. Don’t drink too much coffee – We all love our coffee, but too much caffeine and resulting heartburn can ruin your morning. Coffee has a smooth, smoky taste that many people enjoy, but too much can be a problem.
10. Limit Your Intake of Carbonated Beverages – Most people know to steer clear of fatty foods, sugar, and alcohol when trying to lose weight, but a lot of people don’t realize that carbonated beverages are also unhealthy. Carbonated beverages such as soda, soda pop, and seltzer water, are one part of a healthy diet.