Heartburn Relief: Natural Antacids, Medication, Prevention

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Natural antacids, over-the-counter (OTC) antacids, H2 blockers, PPIs, and lifestyle changes can help relieve heartburn symptoms. Usually, successful treatment involves a mix of prevention strategies and medications.

A few ways to treat heartburn include:

  • Changing your diet and lifestyle (e.g., quitting smoking, losing weight, avoiding trigger foods)
  • Using natural antacids (e.g., baking soda, aloe vera, licorice)
  • Taking OTC heartburn medications (e.g., Mylanta, Tums, Pepcid, Nexium)
  • Getting a prescription-strength heartburn treatment (e.g., Prilosec, Prevacid)

Is Heartburn the Same as GERD?

Though heartburn is related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the terms are not interchangeable. GERD is a more severe, chronic form of acid reflux, while heartburn is essentially a symptom of acid reflux and GERD.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

The best heartburn treatment may not be a medical treatment at all. You can alleviate heartburn by avoiding foods that cause heartburn and making other lifestyle choices that can minimize what heartburn feels like.

The following tips can help relieve occasional heartburn and may prevent it in the future.

Lifestyle changes that minimize heartburn

Verywell / Jessica Olah

Don't Smoke

Nicotine in cigarette smoke relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter. Smoking also allows stomach acid to flow backward into the esophagus. If you get heartburn, stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke as well.

What Is the LES?

The lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, is a band of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus. It normally acts like a trap door that lets food and drink in but keeps stomach acid from bubbling out. Heartburn occurs when the LES is not functioning properly.

Lose Weight if Overweight

Being overweight or obese places pressure on the abdomen. This can lead to stomach acid traveling up into your esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. Heartburn is one of many reasons to aim for a healthy body mass index (BMI) of 25 or lower.

It also helps to loosen the waistband on clothes if you have regular heartburn. Anything that compresses the abdomen can directly affect the function of the esophagus. Opt instead for loose-fitting clothes when occasional heartburn strikes.

BMI is a dated, flawed measure. It does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Even though it is a biased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.

Avoid Food Triggers

Some common heartburn triggers can be avoided in the following ways:

  • Limit alcohol. Alcohol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle. Drinking alcohol can also cause excessive eating, which contributes to heartburn.
  • Avoid foods that affect the LES. These include chocolate, peppermint, caffeinated drinks, carbonated beverages, alcohol, fatty foods, and greasy or fried foods.
  • Avoid irritating foods. These include citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes and tomato-based products, chili peppers, and black pepper.

Create a heartburn-friendly diet by keeping a food diary to record which foods are safe for you and which are more likely to trigger heartburn.

Adjust Your Eating Habits

Beyond what you eat and drink, how and when you eat can also trigger heartburn symptoms. To help prevent symptoms:

  • Eat smaller, more frequent meals: Eating five or six smaller meals may be easier on the stomach than three larger ones.
  • Eat slowly: A handy trick is to put your fork or spoon down between bites.
  • Avoid lying down after eating: Wait for at least two to three hours before lying down, ensuring your head and chest are elevated above the stomach.
  • Avoid late-night snacking: Again, don't eat within two to three hours of going to bed to avoid nighttime heartburn.
  • Chew gum: Chewing gum or sucking on a lozenge after a meal stimulates the production of saliva, which is alkaline, and may help counteract stomach acids.
  • Sip herbal tea: Sipping herbal tea can dilute and flush stomach acids from the esophagus. However, avoid caffeinated tea.

Adjust Your Sleep Habits

Around half of those with GERD experience sleep disturbances related to their symptoms. Besides avoiding food before bedtime, there are ways to avoid nocturnal acid reflux:

  • Sleep with your head elevated. Lying flat allows stomach acids to seep through the LES. Elevating the head with an extra pillow or a special wedge-shaped pillow makes reflux less likely to occur.
  • Lie on your left side. Doing so reduces the likelihood of reflux by elevating the LES.
  • Wear loose-fitting pajamas. The less pressure you place on the abdomen, the better.

Heartburn Doctor Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next doctor's appointment to help you ask the right questions.

Doctor Discussion Guide Old Man

Natural Antacids

Heartburn may last anywhere from just a few minutes to several hours. While some foods can spur acid, others can tamp it down. Some foods that can act as natural antacids include:

Bananas, Melons, and Cauliflower

These foods are alkaline foods, which have a higher pH and can help offset strong stomach acid. By reducing stomach acid, heartburn may improve.

In addition, bananas contain fiber which helps keep food moving through the digestive tract, preventing food from sitting in the stomach too long, which in turn helps limit acid production and reduces the likelihood of acid reflux. 

Milk and Yogurt

Note that whole and 2% milk contain fat that can lead to acid reflux and heartburn. Skim milk, on the other hand, is fat-free and may help to relieve heartburn.

Yogurt may be beneficial for acid reflux due to its naturally occurring probiotics, which aid in overall digestion. Yogurt can also help soothe stomach discomfort and provide a cooling sensation.

Some antacids are not recommended during pregnancy, so eating low-fat yogurt or drinking nonfat milk may be a helpful natural remedy for pregnant people.

Ginger

A review of two studies found that participants taking ginger-containing supplements experienced fewer acid reflux symptoms, which should reduce heartburn. Ginger root is a well-known herbal digestive aid that has been used for centuries as a folk remedy for heartburn, but studies have not evaluated fresh ginger root or ginger tea to be certain of the effects.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is thought to have a soothing effect on the stomach and may help reduce inflammation. There is some evidence that drinking chamomile tea after meals or right before bed may reduce GERD symptoms.

However, more research is needed to evaluate the effect of chamomile specifically on stomach acid or heartburn.

Turmeric Tea

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties. In theory, reducing inflammation may help reduce heartburn, but no studies have been conducted to evaluate turmeric and its effects on acid reflux or heartburn.

Baking Soda

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a natural antacid. Dissolving a teaspoon of baking soda into 8 ounces of water and drinking it one to two hours after a meal may help neutralize stomach acid and temporarily ease heartburn. Side effects include burping and bloating.

Speak with your healthcare provider before using baking soda for heartburn. Baking soda should only be used in people aged 12 and older and is not recommended for use as an antacid for more than two weeks at a time unless authorized by your healthcare provider.

Sodium bicarbonate may decrease the effectiveness of aspirin. It should not be used in pregnant people due to the risk of abnormal fluid build-up.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera juice has been used in traditional medicine to treat esophageal irritation. While it is unwise to use unprocessed aloe vera (as it has potent laxative effects), some products are specially formulated for internal use.

This includes AloeCure, a formulated remedy containing organic processed aloe juice. Marketed as an all-natural remedy for digestive disorders, AloeCure was found to relieve heartburn in several small studies.

Talk to your healthcare provider before using aloe vera. Aloe vera should be avoided in people taking diabetes medications as it can lower blood sugar and cause hypoglycemia. Aloe vera can also interact with blood thinners like warfarin and Plavix (clopidogrel), increasing the risk of easy bruising and bleeding.

Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice is a natural remedy sometimes used to soothe heartburn and other digestive ailments.

On its own, licorice can raise blood pressure, decrease potassium levels, and cause undesirable side effects. By contrast, deglycyrrhizinated licorice has removed the ingredient responsible for this effect (called glycyrrhizic acid).

Some studies suggest that deglycyrrhizinated licorice may be useful in relieving occasional heartburn and indigestion.

Despite having few side effects, deglycyrrhizinated licorice can interact with diuretics, corticosteroids, or other medications that lower the body's potassium level. Taking them together can cause a potentially severe drop in blood potassium known as hypokalemia.

Be sure to discuss the potential side effects of deglycyrrhizinated licorice with your healthcare provider.

Over-the-Counter Heartburn Treatments

There are several over-the-counter (OTC) remedies for heartburn. These include antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors.

Antacid Medications

Antacids are commonly used to treat heartburn and work the fastest to neutralize stomach acids.

Antacids are sold under the following brand names, each of which has slightly different formulations and/or ingredients:

  • Tums: Tums contain calcium carbonate, which tends to be stronger and work longer than some antacid ingredients. Calcium carbonate may also increase esophageal motility (movement), limiting the amount of acid that enters the esophagus.
  • Rolaids: Rolaids contain calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide. This medication is available in different strengths (including Extra-Strength and Ultra-Strength) as well as in different forms (such as soft chews and liquid).
  • Mylanta: Mylanta contains aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. Mylanta Ultra, available in tablet, chewable, and gelcap forms, contains calcium carbonate.
  • Gaviscon: Gaviscon contains alginic acid and sodium bicarbonate in addition to aluminum hydroxide and magnesium carbonate. The combination creates a gel-like barrier that literally floats on the stomach acid, reducing the amount that enters the LES.
  • Chooz: This is a sugar-free gum with calcium carbonate as the active ingredient.

Antacids can interfere with the absorption of certain drugs, including HIV medications. Speak with a healthcare provider before using antacids to ensure they do not interact with your other medications.

Pregnant people should not use antacids containing sodium bicarbonate or magnesium trisilicate as they can cause excessive fluid buildup and affect the development of the fetus. However, antacids containing calcium carbonate may be safe.

H2 Blockers

H2 blockers, also known as H2-receptor antagonists, are medicines that reduce stomach acid. They block a chemical called histamine-2 (H2) that stimulates acid-producing cells in the stomach.

H2 blockers are sold under the following brand names:

  • nizatidine
  • Pepcid (famotidine)
  • Tagamet (cimetidine)

Side effects of this heartburn treatment are uncommon but may include headache, diarrhea, fatigue, and dizziness.

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI)

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are another heartburn treatment that blocks the production of stomach acid, albeit in a different way. They do so by shutting down a system known as the proton pump that is integral to the production of stomach acid.

Over-the-counter PPIs include:

  • Nexium 24H (esomeprazole)
  • Prilosec OTC (omeprazole)
  • Prevacid 24H (lansoprazole)
  • Zegerid OTC (omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate)

PPIs are generally taken for two weeks and should not be used for an extended time.

Side effects include headache, diarrhea, constipation, stomach upset, cough, hoarseness, nausea, and vomiting.

Prescription Heartburn Treatments

Most people experience heartburn occasionally, but some have more frequent or serious heartburn symptoms. If OTC medications and lifestyle changes fail to control heartburn, you may need a combination of approaches and your healthcare provider may recommend prescription versions of H2 blockers and PPIs.

Prescription H2 Blockers

Besides the OTC-strength H2 blockers, there are versions of nizatidine, Pepcid (famotidine), and Tagamet (cimetidine) available by prescription.

Prescription H2 blockers are higher in dosage than their OTC version. These are intended for the short-term relief of severe heartburn only.

Prescription Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)

Prescription PPIs are available under the following brand names:

  • Prilosec (omeprazole)
  • Prevacid (lansoprazole)
  • Protonix (pantoprazole)
  • Nexium (esomeprazole)
  • Aciphex (rabeprazole)
  • Dexilant (dexlansoprazole)

Prescription PPIs are meant to be taken under a healthcare provider's supervision and only for a limited time. Some studies have shown that chronic use of these heartburn treatments is associated with an increased risk of bone fractures, nutritional deficiencies, kidney disease, and heart attacks.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you experience heartburn regularly (e.g. more than twice weekly), you should see a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Also, speak to your healthcare provider before taking natural remedies or OTC treatments for heartburn.

You should seek emergency medical care if your heartburn symptoms are accompanied by:

  • Vomit that has blood in it or resembles coffee grounds
  • Black or tarry stools
  • Extreme burning, squeezing, or chest pressure, which could indicate a heart attack

Summary

Occasional heartburn (acid reflux) can often be treated or prevented with lifestyle changes. Natural remedies like baking soda, aloe vera, and deglycyrrhizinated licorice have been used to treat occasional heartburn, but the evidence supporting their use is limited.

Over-the-counter antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) also relieve occasional heartburn. People with severe heartburn may require prescription H2 blockers or PPIs to control their symptoms. Medications like these are intended for short-term use only.

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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Additional Reading

By Sharon Gillson
 Sharon Gillson is a writer living with and covering GERD and other digestive issues.