Heartburn and sour belching after meals: habits and precautions to follow
Keeping a three-hour gap between meals and sleep, avoiding trigger foods and seeing a doctor for warning symptoms can ease acidity, the advice says.
Images are not validated/verified
A changing lifestyle, rising work stress, irregular meal times, heavy consumption of junk food and lack of sleep all show up directly in the body. Many people get sour belching after meals, a sharp burning sensation in the chest, food returning suddenly to the throat, and a yellow, sour or bitter taste spreading in the mouth.
Because of changes in diet and a faulty lifestyle, everyone sees these symptoms at some time. Bile collecting in the throat spoils the taste of the mouth. It has been advised that if sour bile repeatedly collects near the throat after meals, some home remedies can be tried to relieve the trouble and keep the mouth from tasting foul.
The first remedy concerns meal and sleep timing. A gap of three hours between eating and sleeping is very important. One should not lie down at all once the discomfort starts. Sitting or standing upright helps food and acid in the stomach go back down, while lying down right after a meal makes it likely that bile will collect in the throat.
On food and drink, it has been said that very oily, hot and spicy items, chocolate, coffee and caffeinated drinks, alcohol, mint, and sour items such as orange or lemon increase acidity when taken on an empty stomach. Only easily digestible items should therefore be taken on an empty stomach. For those who get sour water in the throat repeatedly at night, it is advised to sleep with the head and chest slightly raised so that the trouble does not worsen.
An important point made is that a feeling of something stuck in the throat or food pipe is not merely a case of food being stuck and can also be a symptom of a serious illness. Symptoms such as difficulty in swallowing, repeated vomiting, and blood in stool or vomit should never be ignored, and treatment should be sought in time. These symptoms appear when there is inflammation or blockage of the food pipe, or other serious diseases.
In gastroesophageal reflux disease, makeshift treatment can prove dangerous for the body. Acid-reducing medicines such as proton pump inhibitors are described as very effective against acidity, but they should be taken only on a doctor's advice. When sour water repeatedly comes up the throat or there is bile trouble, no tablet from a medical store should be taken.
Finally, it has been made clear that this information is for general awareness only and does not claim any kind of treatment. Consult your doctor before trying any remedy.
