Heartburn Diet & Tips

Frequent heartburn can be frustrating – the flare ups can interfere with your everyday life and cause discomfort at the most inconvenient times. But if you try to make some changes, they could help with your heartburn symptoms. In this case, a little effort can go a long way. It’s recommended to discuss these remedies with your doctor, as they can help determine what changes might work for you. Here is our top 10 list of easy heartburn remedies to help you find relief from your symptoms.

1. Wear loose-fitting clothes.

Tight clothes can put pressure on your stomach, which can squeeze acid upward and into your esophagus. Opt for loose/flowy clothing instead of tight-fitting clothing and belts. Think about it as if you were attending a family holiday dinner and you knew were going to be eating an indulgent meal. What’s going to be more comfortable after the meal: jeans or sweatpants?

2. Sleep on an incline.

Use gravity to your advantage! You could raise the head of your bedframe with blocks or elevate your head with a pillow. This will help the acid stay in the lower portion of your stomach when you lie down, rather than rising into your esophagus. It’s common for heartburn to happen when you’re lying down, so try to be open to adjustments to allow for a more restful sleep.

3. Chew gum.

How can chewing gum help with your heartburn? When you chew gum, your mouth creates saliva and this saliva can act as a natural barrier to acid. It can help ease the burning you might experience with heartburn.

4. Drink ginger tea.

Ginger tea has anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe the stomach. When you feel heartburn coming on, try drinking a warm cup.

5. Drink baking soda.

Yes, baking soda. Mix baking soda and water together and drink it. It may not taste great, but the baking soda can help neutralize acid and provide fast relief for your symptoms.

6. Ditch the carbonated beverages.

The carbonation can make you burp and burping can send acid up into the esophagus. Make the switch from soda and sparkling water to flat water and juices with low acidity.

7. Don’t overeat.

Overindulging on food can increase the fullness of your stomach and place more pressure on your lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Smaller portions will prevent this additional pressure, so you can enjoy your meal and be comfortable afterwards. Try eating several smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to a few large ones. And remember – make those smaller meals heartburn-friendly. If your smaller meals still contain heartburn food triggers, it’s possible you’ll still experience heartburn.

8. Don’t eat late at night…and if you do, don’t lay down immediately after

After a meal, your stomach produces stomach acid. If you lay down on a full stomach, the stomach contents can put pressure on your esophagus, resulting in acid travelling upward and possibly contributing to heartburn symptoms. That’s why it’s suggested to sleep on an incline. But if you know that you frequently experience nighttime heartburn, you could also try letting your body digest for at least 2-3 hours before bed. Waiting to lay down will help reduce the pressure on the LES.

9. Avoid smoking and excess alcohol.

Both nicotine and alcohol have relaxing effects on your esophagus, which can allow stomach acid to slip past and into your esophageal lining.

10. Try over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn medicines, like Prilosec OTC.

For frequent heartburn that isn’t easily managed with lifestyle changes, talk to your doctor about trying Prilosec OTC (link to PDP for Prilosec OTC base). The unique delayed-release formula doesn’t just ease symptoms – it treats frequent heartburn by blocking it all day and all night with one pill in the morning.*

So, try these 9 easy heartburn remedies and see what helps. But if they’re not enough, Prilosec OTC could be the right treatment for your frequent heartburn.

Resources (accessed March’21)

• Mayo Clinic, “Home Remedies: The discomfort of heartburn”
• Hopkins Medicine, “GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)”
• Harvard Health Publishing, “9 ways to relieve acid reflux without medication”