Home Remedies For Heartburn In Children

Abnormal reflux due to acidic stomach contents causing a burning and sometimes painful sensation in heart is termed as heartburn.

In medical terms it is called as Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) caused from stomach acids that backflow into the esophagus (sometimes known as the gullet).

It is hard to believe for some people that children, too suffer with heartburn like they do but heartburn is a common problem with children.

Causes of Heartburn in Children

• Over eating
• Improper intake of food
• Intake of too much onions
• Intake of lots of curd
• Intake of spices, chilies
• Intake of high-fat meats
• Having excess of chocolates
• Eating within 2 to 3 hours prior to bedtime
• Wearing tight fitting clothing
• Being obese

The Following Symptoms Can Be Noticed If a Child Is Suffering From Heartburn

• Stomach ache
• Arching of the back during feedings
• Chest pain
• Coughing
• Fussiness
• Hoarse voice
• Painful swallowing
• Poor eating
• Sore throat
• Vomiting
• Wheezing
• Unable to lie down or play

This video enables the viewers to analyze the phenomenon of heartburn.

Natural Home Remedies for Heartburn in Children

Nowadays, a number of home remedies are available for the treatment of heartburn in children some of which are:

• The easiest home remedy for heartburn in children is drinking lots of water as water acts as a good neutralizer.
• Suck on a piece of clove and acidity will disappear.
• Having ginger also helps in getting rid of indigestion.
• Instead of eating traditional 3 meals a day, try eating small portions of food at regular intervals.
• Eating a bit of lemon or lemon rind has long been used as a natural cure for stomach ailments, including heartburn.
• Medicines like antacids containing calcium carbonate help heal this problem to some extent.
• Having 5-10gms of jaggery (gudh) after meals is one of the best home remedies for heartburn in children.
• Make the child wear loose fitting clothes.
• Consuming cold things like ice cream is also a good home remedy for heartburn.
• Having a glass of buttermilk with 1 teaspoon black pepper mixed in it is one of the simplest natural home remedies for heartburn in children.
• Aloe vera juice, too, helps in the treatment of heartburn.
• Having a 1 teaspoon juice of chebulic myrobalan together with 1 teaspoon of Indian gooseberry (amla) juice helps in preventing heartburn in children.
• A quick home medicine for heartburn and gas would be having a glass of chilled milk.
• Children can also be given almonds.
• Having a lot of leafy vegetables can also be a good solution to this problem.
• You can also give the child green tea.

Things To Avoid

• Do not allow children to go to sleep immediately after a meal.
• Controlling your child’s diet can also be a good preventive cure for heartburn in children.
• Avoiding caffeine and spicy, fried or acidic foods.
• Head elevation for about 15 cm while sleeping may help immensely with their heartburn problem.
• Maintaining a record of what the child is eating also helps in determining the causes of heartburn. This, in turn, can assist in adopting an appropriate therapy.
• Avoid the intake of citrus fruits during heartburn.
• Help the child in losing weight if he is overweight.