How to deal with heartburn during pregnancy

Heartburn is an unpleasant condition of discomfort that can occur at any age. The reasons are different for everyone.

For example, it can be bad habits, unhealthy diet, chronic diseases, or even pregnancy.

Many patients complain of a sour taste in the mouth, discomfort or sore throat.

These symptoms appear after eating, especially if the person takes a horizontal position immediately after eating.

Heartburn during pregnancy appears in the second half of the term. Manifestations can be both short-lived and protracted up to several hours. Let's find out how to treat heartburn during pregnancy.

Why does heartburn appear?

1. Due to weight gain. When a woman gains a certain amount of kilograms during pregnancy, this negatively affects not only the spine, joints, but also the internal organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Not only the fetus presses on the stomach, but also the presence of internal fat.
2. Mechanical squeezing. The more the uterus increases in size, the less space remains for the placement of internal organs. Compression of the stomach leads to heartburn in a pregnant woman.
3. Hormonal changes during pregnancy. When an interesting position occurs, a woman experiences an intense increase in the hormone progesterone. This hormone is essential for the normal functioning of the muscles of the uterus, as well as other muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.
   For example, the muscles that separate the esophagus from the stomach are relaxed. His actions take place subconsciously. After the food has entered the stomach, the sphincter “slams shut” and the process of digestion begins. But because of progesterone, muscle relaxation occurs, as a result of which hydrochloric acid is thrown with crushed pieces of food. A burning sensation is also called heartburn.
4. Increased intra-abdominal pressure. In this regard, there is a disruption of the sphincter.
5. Due to the production of hormones during pregnancy, the acidity level of the gastric juice increases.

Heartburn occurs during pregnancy in almost every woman. This manifestation cannot harm the health of the child.

But you need to seek help from a doctor if severe heartburn bothered a woman even before pregnancy.

Symptoms

If a woman has heartburn before conceiving a child, then these symptoms will only worsen in pregnant women.

In the first three months, heartburn in a pregnant woman does not appear often. This is due to the fact that the size of the uterus still practically does not change, the internal organs work as standard without changes.

Vomiting and nausea are common at this time. But if these symptoms are common, then it is possible that they later develop into heartburn.

The first manifestations of this disorder begin to bother about 20 weeks. But she overcomes strenuously already in the third trimester. Pregnant women may have different intensities of heartburn.

This, as mentioned above, is associated with an increase in the size of the uterus and the production of a huge amount of the hormone progesterone.

Relief comes only in the last weeks of pregnancy, when the fetus sinks, and accordingly it becomes easier to breathe, walk and the manifestations of heartburn decrease.

How to treat

How to deal with heartburn during pregnancy? In case of painful manifestations of heartburn during pregnancy, they can be removed with the help of a group of drugs called "non-absorbable antacids".

They are able to normalize high acidity, envelop the walls of the stomach, and heartburn will be eliminated in just a few minutes, without getting into the blood.

These drugs also include medicines that contain trace elements such as Magnesium, Aluminum, Calcium. For example, these include Almagel, Maalox and Rennie.

But they are strictly forbidden to be taken together with other medications.

A side effect of the use of anthracids is constipation. But this does not apply to a medication like Rennie.

They contain calcium and magnesium carbonate, as a result of which the person taking this drug does not get stronger.

Additionally, the required amount of mucus is produced to protect the stomach from erosions or ulcers.

Rennie helps to cope not only with heartburn, but also nausea, vomiting, and bloating, which is very important during pregnancy.

But magnesium can negatively affect the health of the baby in the womb, so it is better to stop taking medications during pregnancy or take minimal amounts.

There are also preparations containing bismuth nitrate. For example, Vikalin. But research on the negative effects on the health of the child has not been proven.

Therefore, it is necessary to undergo treatment with drugs only under the supervision of a doctor.

Traditional methods of treatment

Most women try to stop taking medications during pregnancy to protect their baby. What can replace medicines?

In this case, folk recipes come to the rescue. You can choose the most effective recipe only through experimentation, since each organism is individual.

Milk can be taken during pregnancy to relieve symptoms of heartburn. You need to drink it during the day in small sips.

It is also good to take in the summer as an "indoor air conditioner" that is able to cool the body from the inside.

You can enhance the beneficial effects of milk with a few drops of fennel essential oil.

For a change, you can alternate the use of milk with other sweet milk products or ice cream.

It is necessary to take these products within normal limits and only if you do not have problems with the absorption of sugar in the blood.

If heartburn is mild, you can drink a glass of water. Pumpkin seeds will also work, but they should be raw. You can replace pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds.

However, in most cases, severe heartburn torments a woman, if there is a pregnancy, before going to bed for a few hours.

To prevent heartburn, you can take chamomile or ginger tea. You do not need to drink it often, only 2-3 times a week after meals.

The easiest and most frequent way to deal with heartburn is to use baking soda. But the action from this product does not bring long lasting results.

The formation of carbon dioxide occurs. In this regard, there is an even more intense secretion of gastric juice and, accordingly, the recurrence of an attack of heartburn.

Additionally, carbon dioxide, entering the bloodstream, leads to a violation of the acid-base balance in the body.

Water

It is important for the prevention of heartburn in pregnant women to take an abundant amount of water per day.

Approximately, it is necessary to take 300 grams of water per 10 kilograms of weight in winter, and 400 grams in summer. You need to take water only 30 minutes before meals, but, in no case, neither during meals, nor after.

It is possible to eliminate the manifestations of the disease with the help of Activated carbon diluted in water. It also helps to eliminate nausea and vomiting, but it can only be taken from the twentieth week.

Non-carbonated table mineral water can also be a good helper to remove heartburn during pregnancy. For example, it could be Borjomi or Mirgorodskaya.

Tea and decoctions

There are some types of teas for heartburn during pregnancy that have no side effects. For example, it can be chamomile or ginger tea.

Drinking mint tea has a good effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

It is he who helps eliminate heartburn and nausea, but it is advisable to take it only in the early stages of pregnancy.

If heartburn torments often and intensely enough, then it is necessary to take decoctions. There are several recipes for these broths.

1. You need to take a teaspoon of centaury herb and pour it with a glass of hot boiled water. Let it brew in a warm, dark place for several hours. Take one tablespoon daily before each meal for 20-30 minutes.
2. For this recipe, you need to take a teaspoon with a slide of heather. Pour it into half a liter of boiled water and boil for several minutes. You need to take 100 grams before meals.
3. You can eliminate intense heartburn with calamus root. Cut off a small piece and chew it before eating.

But before using the decoctions, you also need to consult your doctor. If there is no allergic reaction to any herbs, then doctors are allowed to take decoctions for treatment.

Juices

A positive effect on the elimination of heartburn occurs after consuming potato, beet and carrot juices. They are completely safe. But they must be taken only fresh.

To do this, take carrots, potatoes or beets and rinse them well under running water. Then, using a grater, meat grinder or blender, turn into gruel.

Squeeze out the juice and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. You need to take it in the morning on an empty stomach, after that it will be possible to eat only after 30 minutes.

The course of treatment is about two weeks, then it is advisable to take a break. The treatment can be repeated, but only if the pancreas is functioning normally.

Tips

Each organism is individual and for some, nuts, grated carrots or oatmeal help some in order to eliminate heartburn. The latter can even be taken with you on the road.

There are also certain types of oils that can improve the functioning of the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems. The protective properties of the body are also enhanced.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, you can combine a spoonful of grape seed oil and a few drops of lemon and orange. The mixture of oils must be rubbed into the chest.

Heartburn and its prevention in pregnant women

1. You need to clearly control your weight. For this, it is advisable to keep a calorie diary. It is very difficult to get rid of unwanted pounds afterwards.
2. It is necessary to eat in a relaxed atmosphere. Food must be thoroughly chewed and swallowed.
3. It is necessary to use products that contain alkali to lower the acidity level of gastric juice. For example, it can be boiled poultry or fish, cream, milk, crackers, as well as a large amount of vegetables and fruits.
4. You need to eat often, but in small quantities.
5. Constipation should be avoided. In this case, you can take dried apricots, boiled beets and prunes. Constipation is an unpleasant situation for any person, and even more so in the presence of pregnancy.
6. You can avoid constipation with chewing gum. After a meal, it must be chewed for 10 minutes, but not more than 3 times a day.

Additionally, it is recommended to take a small amount of honey before lunch. This should be done only if the pancreas is working well.

Heartburn during pregnancy is not a dangerous disease, but it brings discomfort. In this regard, it is best to fight it with folk methods.

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