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“My chest feels like it’s on fire,” my husband told me last weekend after eating a cheeseburger from our favorite local restaurant. “Heartburn, again?” I asked him.
We’ve both dealt with heartburn at one point or another, but when it tends to be happening more & more often or staying longer, you know that you need to do something about it.
Heartburn sounds like “no big deal”, but coming from someone who has experienced it, it is really painful. In fact, one time when we were planning on going to the park after eating out with the kids, his heartburn was really painful. We decided to skip the park and head home to relax a little. No one was happy about it, but least of all was my husband, who felt crummy. So- that was an eye-opener that heartburn impacts daily living.
Since I also suffer from heartburn from time to time, I knew that it can be such a nagging feeling and I knew how to deal with it. We want to be able to ENJOY our time with our family by feeling great. 🙂
What is heartburn?
It is also known as acid indigestion. It’s a burning feeling in the chest or upper stomach. It can be painful in those areas and even in your neck and jaw. It can pass quickly or slowly – you just never know.
What causes heartburn?
It is caused by the esophageal sphincter (muscles at the entrance of the stomach) opening too often. The esophageal sphincter is kind of like a gate that lets food move from your esophagus to your stomach. It lets it through and then shuts again to keep it from coming back up. When it opens too often or isn’t tight enough, you feel that heartburn.
What can you do?
- Try a medication to help.
We like Equate Omeprazole Orally Disintegrating Tablets (also referred to as ODT) because it fits into our busy schedule. It treats the same symptoms as Prilosec. Raising four kids doesn’t leave much time to sit down & rest until you feel better. By taking Equate Omeprazole ODT, found at Walmart, I can just grab it and go. It’s a disintegrating tablet, so no need to get a glass of water. I can take it no matter where I am.
- Drink a glass of water, if you have it.
Water can help with heartburn (try to drink enough water every day). If you don’t have water, you can still take an Equate Omeprazole Orally Disintegrating Tablet. That’s one of the best parts. So, when I saw it at Walmart, at their great price, I thought I’d try it. It is so much more convenient. Plus, there is an ibotta offer you can use–>>. Take $3 off Equate Omeprazole ODT; 42-count (Valid 4/4 – 4/30)
- Don’t lie down for 2-3 hours after eating.
If you find that you get heartburn frequently or in the evenings, this tip is going to help. Also, try taking a Omeprazole ODT every day for 14 days. You will feel it starting to work within a few days and since each dose lasts 24 hours, it will continue to help at night. The easy to take orally disintegrating tablet is a new innovation in heartburn medication, with MELTech formula allowing the tablet to dissolve on your tongue easily. It treats the same symptoms as the current Omeprazole, but in a dissolvable tablet that melts in your mouth & tastes like strawberries.
- Wear Looser fitting clothing.
Clothing that presses against your stomach can cause pain and heartburn.
- Cut back on greasy foods, alcohol, and caffeine.
Also, be sure that you are at a healthy weight. Being overweight or eating foods that do not agree with your body could cause heartburn. And… if you do decide on coffee & cookies like me (I know… I know…) just be sure to follow how your body reacts, so you can find which foods are causing the issues with your body.
I hope these tips helped!
