Natural Home Remedies for Common Stomach Problems

Stomach problems are the second reason people seek medical attention, the first reason is the common cold. Stomach problems run the gamut from heartburn to bloating to elimination issues and each common malady has an equally common and natural home remedy.

Home Remedy for Heartburn

Heartburn is experienced by one in ten Americans at least once a week and has nothing to do with the heart, according to WebMD . For some people, most of them women, heartburn is a nightly occurrence which sets their chest on fire and causes them to lose sleep. The firey feeling in the chest and bitter taste in the mouth is stomach acid backing up into the esophagus and throat, creating the condition referred to as heartburn (or GERD ). The overactive stomach acid usually occurs after eating foods high is fat or acid and attacks with a vengeance once you have laid down.

Keep stomach acid in the stomach and prevent heartburn by not eating at least four hours prior to bedtime. Also raise the head of the bed by six inches; place a wooden beam or wooden blocks under the bed legs to elevate the head of the bed. Tight fitting clothing also promotes heartburn so loosen up around the mid-section to prevent heartburn.

Home Remedy for Belly Bloat

Bellies bloat due to air being trapped inside. Swallowing too much air while chewing gum, drinking carbonated beverages or eating foods that have air whipped into them are the culprits behind too much air getting into your belly. High fiber foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage and garlic also create a gas buildup inside the stomach leading to belly bloat. Fiber supplements can also make belly bloat worse according to Medline Plus .

Get rid of the belly bloat with a home remedy of ginger tea. Slice off a few small pieces of fresh ginger in a tea cup (or use ½ teaspoon of powdered ginger) and pour ½ cup boiling water over the ginger. Allow to steep until cool enough to drink.

Stop the Back Door Trots

Diarrhea is called by many different names but the symptom is always the same – bowels that are moving to quickly. Back door trots can be caused from a variety of things like food poisoning, over indulgence in a favorite food or any foods containing sorbitol or xylitol (usually found in sugar-free foods).

Stop the back trots and get your digestive system back on track with the BRAT diet . Eat only bananas, rice, applesauce and toast and wash the food down with water until things return to normal. The BRAT diet consists of bland foods which allow the digestive system to not work as hard and be able to recover from whatever caused it to be upset.

Moving Too Slow

When things are not moving fast enough through the digestive system an increase in fiber and water intake should get things moving at a faster pace. Drink eight glasses of water a day and eat five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables per day. Adding a little exercise to the mix is always a good home remedy for most anything, and in this case any exercise that has you bending at the waist (yoga, sit-ups) will greatly increase the chances of things moving along.

Sources:

WebMD

Medline Plus

Everyday Health

LiveStrong