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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Heartburn - Measures for Self-Care



Symptoms:

Pain or a burning in the chest after eating and/or after bending over or lying down. Also, belching and a burning feeling in the throat.

Measures for Self-Care
  • Sit straight while eating. Sit up, stand up or walk after you have eaten. Don't lie down!
  • If heartburn bothers you at night, raise the head of the bed by 6 inches.
  • Shed some kilos if are overweight.
  • Don't wear tight-fitting clothes.
  • Eat small quantities. Limit your intake of alcohol.
  • Limit the consumption of foods and beverages that contain gas, such as potatoes and such as soft drinks.
  • Don't eat or drink anything two to three hours before bedtime.
  • Antacids, such as Tums, can help relieve heartburn.
  • Don't smoke at all.
  • If you have to take medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, or medicines for arthritis, take them along with food.
Call your doctor for
  • Stools that are tar-like and black in colours.
  • Pain that goes through to your back or gripping pain in the upper abdomen.
  • Difficulty in swallowing.
  • Heartburn that occurs frequently.
Get Immediate Care for
  • Heartburn accompanied by a tightness or pain in the chest which spreads to the neck, jaw, or arm; a feeling of discomfort in the chest with sweating or shortness of breath, nausea and/or vomiting or uneven pulse or heartbeart.
  • Heartburn leading to vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds.

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