Treatment of heartburn during pregnancy

Heartburn during pregnancy can often be very distressing and does require treatment. All pregnant women should understand that before they take any medications or health supplements for treatment of heartburn, they should first check with their doctor. The reason for this is that there are many medications that can affect the fetus and cause permanent damage. However, some medications can be taken during the third trimester because the fetus has already grown and has a lesser risk of adverse reactions.

All women should first use home remedies or over the counter medications to treat symptoms of heartburn during pregnancy. There are several options for treating heartburn including the following:

Antacids can quickly neutralize stomach acidity and relieve pain. Common antacids include Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids and Tums. These medications usually work within a few minutes. All antacids are available over the counter but unfortunately do not work in all pregnant women.

There are several medications that can be used to decrease acid production. 

The anti histamine blockers like tagamet, zantac and pepcid do not work as quickly as the antacids but they do provide much longer last relief. A single tablet can provide relief for the whole day.

The third group of medications is the proton pump inhibitors, which not only decrease acid production but also can help heal any ulcers. Proton pump inhibitors are also available over the counter and are very effective for heartburn relief. In general proton pump inhibitors are slightly more expensive than both the anti histamines and antacids.

All pregnant women should read the label on the packages before taking these medications. Moreover, these medications should only be taken as needed and not on a regular basis. All these medications provide good relief in the majority of patients with heartburn. However, if you do not find relief, you should speak to your doctor.

Heartburn during pregnancy is usually worse in the 3^rd trimester and thus medications are only required during this period. It is best not to combine the above medications but first start with the antacids and progress to the others if the heartburn continues. Most pregnant women with heartburn do find great relief from anti histamines and proton pump inhibitors. All these medications can be taken with a glass of water or food. For maximal benefit, take the medication at the same time every day.

Alternative health care for heartburn during pregnancy

Because of the risk of medications to the developing fetus during pregnancy, many women who do develop heartburn are reluctant to take any type of drugs. This is understandable because the majority of medications can cause irreversible harm to the fetus. Moreover, most medications have not even been evaluated for their safety during pregnancy. For this reason many women have been turning to alternative health care for treatment of their heartburn symptoms. There are several alternative and complimentary treatments heartburn. The aim of these treatments is to decrease acidity by relieving your stress and anxiety levels. If you are pregnant and under a lot of stress, you may want to consider the following treatments:

Aromatherapy is an exotic treatment that combines  use of naturally occurring oils from a variety of plants, herbs, barks, stems and fruits to enhance your physical and psychological well-being. The sweet smelling fragrant oils can be inhaled or massaged and are said to relax the brain. There are many anecdotal reports that use of aromatherapy can help relieve pain, enhance mood and improve mental function.

Gentle exercise during pregnancy cannot only help one maintain decent weight, but boost self esteem. Pregnant women should not perform strenuous exercise for fear of injuring themselves and the baby. Activities recommended to help stimulate the stomach and diminish acidity include walking, cycling or swimming. One should avoid intense exercise as it can worsen heartburn.

Hypnosis is said to decrease anxiety and relieve stress. However, one requires multiple sessions over a period of few months. Unfortunately, hypnosis is also expensive and its benefits are short lived.

One of the cheapest ways to relieve stress and get relief from heartburn is listening to soothing soft music. Others may benefit from total body massage with a variety of oils and creams. Like hypnosis, massage is a great stress reliever but it is also costly and the effects are not sustained.

Acupuncture has also been widely touted to relieve stress and anxiety. Like massage and hypnosis, many sessions of acupuncture are required to obtain stress relief. Moreover, acupuncture is not cheap.

All pregnant who suffer from heartburn should understand that these methods are not a substitute for medical treatment of heartburn but complementary methods. The only definitive way to decrease stomach acidity is to take medications. However, when these alternative treatments are used, the dose of medications required to decrease acidity is significantly less.

Life style Remedies to Treat Heartburn during Pregnancy

Heartburn during pregnancy is not difficult to treat but the fact is that doctors generally do not like to recommend medications as first choice treatment. The reason for this is that some medications can affect the fetus. Even though most anti ulcer medications are safe, the majority have never been tested in pregnant women and great caution should be exercised before one takes any medication during pregnancy. To find effective relief from heartburn during pregnancy, most physicians recommend making changes in life style to help decrease the symptoms. One can obtain relief from heartburn during pregnancy by making the following life style changes:

Try to maintain a healthy weight. The more weight you put on during pregnancy, the greater is the pressure on the stomach. This causes more acid to push up into the esophagus and cause heartburn. However, before you start to lose weight during pregnancy, speak to your doctor. In some cases, weight loss may not be a practical idea as the mother may be too thin or the baby may be too large. Weight loss during pregnancy is also difficult but you should speak to your obstetrician to help you with a diet that prevents excess weight gain.

Another way to avoid heartburn is to avoid wearing tight fitting clothes. Anything that is tight or restrictive near the waist can lead to heartburn. Pregnancy was never meant to make anyone look slim, so wear something comfortable rather than tight.

It is important to avoid foods that trigger heartburn. Each individual has a specific food that triggers heartburn. Some of the common foods that initiate heartburn include alcohol, citrus foods, tomato sauce, spices or meat products. Avoiding foods will ease the symptoms of heartburn significantly. Moreover, avoid eating large meals in one setting. Rather, eat several small meals that generally tend to initiate less acid release in the stomach.

After you have eaten, do not immediately lie down. Stay upright for at least the next 1-2 hours so that the food has passed the stomach and the acidity has reduced. Moreover, avoid eating late at night. The last meal should preferably be eaten at least a few hours before bedtime.

If the heartburn is severe during the night, sleep with the head of bed elevated. One does not need to buy a brand new bed, because there are many wedges available that can be inserted below the mattress to elevate the head of the bed.

Finally, it is vital that you stop smoking and drinking caffeinated beverages. These two social habits are among the most common causes of heartburn.

What are symptoms of heartburn?

Heartburn is not pleasant and in most cases causes a burning type pain in the left lower chest. The pain can last from a few minutes to several hours. Often the pain is aggravated by lying down or bending after eating. When lying down, sometimes there may be a burning sensation in the throat. Others may complain of a salty or acid taste at the back of the throat. With severe heartburn, one may also have difficulty swallowing and there may be a sensation of food sticking at the back of the throat. Heatburn can also cause a chronic dry cough or hoarseness.   

Often the heartburn during pregnancy may be accompanied by excess sweating, facial flushing and dizziness. Sometimes the pain of heartburn can be mistaken for a heart attack.

Heartburn during pregnancy is not life threatening but it can affect the quality of life. 

The diagnosis of heartburn is not difficult. Doctors can use a variety of tests to make the diagnoses of heartburn. The good news is that once the pregnancy is over, heartburn spontaneously resolves.

Heartburn during pregnancy

Heartburn during pregnancy is a common complaint. Heartburn occurs on daily basis in at least 20% of North Americans and is even more common in obese individuals. It is estimated that more than 70 percent of women develop heartburn during the latter stages of pregnancy. 

Heartburn is sometimes referred to as acid indigestion. The disorder primarily occurs when acid from the stomach is pushed up (refluxes) inside the swallowing tube (esophagus). The potent acid then causes a burning sensation in the chest. Heartburn during pregnancy usually becomes more prominent in the 2^nd or 3^rd trimester. As the uterus enlarges, it pushes on the stomach. The stomach contents in turn then reflux into the esophagus. In normal people, there is a valve at the end of the esophagus that prevents the acid from refluxing. In pregnancy, it is believed that the female sex hormone, estrogen, also causes loosening of this valve and allows acid to reflux upwards.

What worsens heartburn during pregnancy?

Heartburn can also occur after overeating or from certain foods. Foods that can cause excess relaxation of the valve in the lower esophagus include caffeine, alcohol, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, chocolate, tomatoes and peppermint. Moreover, oily foods can also cause heartburn. One of the most common causes of heartburn in North America is smoking, which not only relaxes the valve but also stimulates acid secretion.