New Year, New You: Beating Heartburn and Indigestion

The New Year's Resolution

It’s likely you've joined the majority of people and made the famous New Year's resolutions on a few occasions. Typically people resolve to do different things with their lives; explore the world, join an evening class, learn to juggle - the list goes on.

Making lifestyle changes is also among the most common New Year's resolution and doing some of these may help you rid yourself of your heartburn and indigestion symptoms. Before we go into the matter further, let's check the possible symptoms.

Symptoms of Indigestion include:

• Pain in the abdomen, top of the stomach or lower chest areas
• Bloating or the sensation of being very full
• The need to belch or pass wind
• Nausea or vomiting

Symptoms of heartburn include:

• A burning sensation in the chest, behind the breastbone
• A burning sensation in the back of the throat
• A tight feeling in the chest area
• An acidic taste that may cause nausea

Now let's consider the changes that may be needed to deal with heartburn and indigestion in your New Year's resolutions!

Identifying some changes you would like to make

If you suffer from heartburn or indigestion, there are two areas your resolution should include:

1. Dietary changes

Food stimulates acid production in your stomach and it's possible that excess acid can cause the protective stomach lining to break down resulting in pain. Having a very full stomach may sometimes cause the lining to stretch and this may bring on the pain of indigestion too. Furthermore, if your stomach is very full, acid may reflux into the oesophagus causing heartburn. You should also be aware that certain foods can be triggers of indigestion and heartburn. It might be worth seeing if you can identify which ones might be the cause of your problems. 

Watch out for the following in particular:

• Fatty foods - burgers, sausages, pastries, cheese, chocolate
• Spicy foods - chilli, curries and spicy cuisine in general
• Tomatoes and tomato-based dishes – often on pizzas and in pasta sauces
• Alcohol, caffeine and carbonated drinks

Aim to cut out these foods from your diet to establish which of them may be causing your heartburn and indigestion. Vary your diet by making changes like eating more vegetables, salads and fish instead of fatty meats and pastries. Consult the dietician at your local GP surgery if you need a hand planning a balanced diet. It can be difficult to fulfil some New Year's resolutions on your own. However, support is often available by simply asking for it.

2. Lifestyle changes

Many lifestyle changes also involve food - this time not what you might be eating, but how you're eating it:

• Big meals
• Irregular meals
• Quickly, or on the run
• Late at night

Perhaps you're eating too much at each meal, so think about decreasing your portion size. You may even want to consider eating several smaller meals each day, rather than two or three big meals. Also, try not to be in too much of a hurry and give your food time to digest. Sit and rest for a little while afterwards, if you've had a big lunch, for example.

If you go to bed too soon after eating a late meal, digestion could still be taking place when you're sleeping. In this case, you could be woken up by the pain of heartburn or indigestion. Lighter, smaller meals which are eaten earlier in the evening are a good way to help prevent this. 

Other lifestyle changes may involve addressing:

• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Stress

Addressing the first two of these lifestyle changes are frequently part of classic New Year’s resolutions. However, they have more positives than just adopting a healthier lifestyle. Many people who smoke or are overweight experience heartburn and indigestion. If they apply to you, it really is a good idea to try to lose a little weight, stop smoking or maybe relax a little more, in order to help prevent your symptoms recurring. You don't have to join a gym to lose weight. Regular walking or swimming can be really helpful exercises, especially if done together with the dietary changes outlined above.

Your doctor's surgery can provide literature and advice on all three aspects. There is lots of information available online to provide support for you too.

Please also note: Some medications are known to have heartburn or indigestion as a side effect. If you are taking any medications, check with your doctor to see if any of them may be contributing to your problem before you taking any other medications. Speaking of medications, let's now look at how to treat heartburn and indigestion.

Some treatments that can help…

For fast heartburn or indigestion relief, think about Gaviscon Extra.

Gaviscon Extra contains two different acid neutralising ingredients: calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. These both work effectively to reduce the acidity in your stomach.

Gaviscon Extra also contains an ingredient called sodium alginate, which is known to form a raft in your stomach. This raft rises up and lies on top of your stomach's contents. Here it creates a physical barrier that helps to keep your stomach contents and stomach acid in place, in order to help prevent them refluxing up into your oesophagus and potentially causing heartburn.

Gaviscon Extra is effective for both indigestion and heartburn, It's available over-the-counter from pharmacies. You'll find that there is a whole range of Gaviscon products available by following this link for more details.

For persistent indigestion

Despite your New Year's resolution efforts, should you find your indigestion is persistent, or if you suffer from severe bouts, other treatments are available. These can be taken to help prevent indigestion, rather than to treat it once it starts. They are often prescribed by doctors for people with persistent or more severe indigestion problems. Consider speaking to your GP if over-the-counter medicines are not sufficiently effective, or no longer provide the relief you need.

Why not make a New Year’s resolution plan today - and also get help if you can. You really can help to reduce your symptoms, and may even stop it altogether by staying focused on your plan.

Happy New Year. Wishing you a Happy New (heartburn and indigestion-free) Year!

Sources consulted:                                                             

All information presented is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. Gaviscon Extra Oral Suspension and Gaviscon Extra Chewable Tablets contain sodium alginate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, calcium carbonate. Always read the label. If symptoms are severe or last more than 7 days, consult a doctor or pharmacist.