General Tips Indigestion and Heartburn

• Don’t rush when eating food.
• Sit upright, not slouch when eating, and try not to sit on a sofa or a bed (one will tend to slouch).
• Lying flat in bed when sleeping allows stomach acid to flow more easily into the esophagus and stay there for longer periods of time than when a person is in an upright position. Raise your head and shoulders 6 to 8 inches if you have ‘nighttime heartburn’.
• Do not eat late at night or just before bed (2-3 hours before bed is ok).
• Eat small regular meals (avoid large meals at evening)
• Cut down on alcohol consumption
• Certain foods can trigger indigestion (try to avoid or keep to a minimum):

• • Rich, saturated fatty foods
  • Spicy foods
  • Tomato products including fresh tomatoes
  • Fizzy drinks
  • Alcohol
  • Coffee and tea
  • Chocolates (especially spearmint or peppermint)

• Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables
• Have a healthier diet
• Cut down/stop smoking
• If overweight try to lose weight
• Try to keep stress levels down:
  • Pilates
  • Yoga
  • Thai-chi
  • Aromatherapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Reflexology
• Breathing exercises may help.
• Try not to exercise straight after eating.
• Try to avoid ‘vigorous exercise’ regularly if one has long term heartburn problems (abdominal contraction that occurs during exercise).
• Avoid tight fitting clothes.
• Avoid bending and lifting.
• If symptoms worse at night, raise the posture by using an extra pillow.

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Babies under two years old [those who regurgitate (bring up feeds and foods from mouth their  feeds and foods]:

• Babies should be left to sleep on their backs.
• Modifying feeding frequency and volume, and ensuring the intake of feed per kilogram of weight is appropriate a day (see Table 4).

Nutritional Requirements for Children in Health and Disease. 7th ed. London: : Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust 2018.

• There is some evidence for the efficacy of the addition of feed thickeners (e.g. corn starch, rice starch, locust bean gum or carob bean gum) for one to two weeks on reducing the frequency of visible regurgitation – always speak to your Paediatrician and/or Medical Doctor before doing so.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in children and young people: Diagnosis and management [NG1]. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 2019.https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng1 (accessed May 2022).

The Pharmaceutical Journal, PJ, May 2022, Vol 308, No 7961;308(7961)::DOI:10.1211/PJ.2022.1.141848

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Wind

• Peppermint tea may help.
• If have a lot of wind increase intake of oats and linseed and papaya.
• Charcoal products (tablets and pads) may help if suitable (they help to absorb gas, but can interfere with absorption of medication (see your pharmacist if unsure)
• Probiotic yogurts may help, they help to restore the natural flora in one’s stomach (gas release can occur if there is an imbalance of ‘friendly’ bacteria and bad bacteria).

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Natural treatments and tips (DR Axe)