Medications for heartburn in pregnancy will certainly help, but not all are safe for your baby. While many heartburn medications can be purchased over the counter, most require your doctor's approval if you are pregnant. How to choose the safe one among the many medications for heartburn?
Medicines for heartburn in pregnancywill not always be safe for your baby. Taking any medications during pregnancy should always be consulted with the attending physician.
Heartburn in pregnancy can make life sick, especially when you don't know which medications are safe during pregnancy. Usually, heartburn occurs when the weakened muscles, the so-called the lower esophageal sphincter that separates it from the stomach are relaxed and flaccid.
In a he althy person, the sphincter relaxes while eating, and then closes, preventing the swallowed bites from going back up.
Heartburn - the nightmare of pregnant women
Now that you are pregnant, the weakening of the sphincter is caused by the pregnancy hormones. As a result, food and gastric juices can easily flow back from the stomach into the esophagus. The stomach acid starts to irritate the sensitive mucosa, and you immediately feel an unpleasant burning sensation.
Besides the burning sensation in your esophagus, you may feel pain behind the breastbone and in the chest, especially after bending down or lying down, as well as regurgitation of acidic or s alty fluid, or burping food.
The beginning of pregnancy is the beginning of heartburn
Heartburn usually starts in the first few months of pregnancy, and may worsen in the second and third trimesters as the enlarging uterus presses more heavily on the stomach. The ailment itself is not serious, but unpleasant and bothersome.
You can prevent it or at least limit its appearance. You have to eat less and more often, do not lie down, especially right after a meal (a half-sitting position is safer). Also, be careful with a poorly selected bra - a pressure band under the bust can aggravate heartburn.
Natural remedy for heartburn
You can find heartburn medications in almonds. You should carry them with you and chew them instead of gum (which may contain sweeteners, not recommended in pregnancy. Almonds contain magnesium and calcium (like antacids). They help digest heavy meals and strengthen the lining of the stomach and esophagus.
Drugs for heartburn good forpregnant
- Drugs good for pregnant womenare drugs containing substances that neutralize the action of gastric acids, i.e. calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, which bind hydrochloric acid in the stomach and neutralize it. Even if the stomach contents retreat, it will not cause the esophagus to smoke. Alginates can be added to modern neutralizing preparations, which additionally have a protective effect. When the alginate reaches the stomach, it forms a gel that floats on the surface of the food eaten, creating a barrier between the stomach and esophagus. Food does not retreat. Alginate also supports the regeneration of the epithelium, irritated by heartburn. These drugs are safe in pregnancy. They are available in the form of suspensions, gel sachets, chewable and chewable tablets.
- Medicines that are good for pregnant womenare herbal remedies that can be helpful in fighting heartburn. It is worth reaching for them interchangeably with drugs that cannot be used constantly. They regulate digestion, making heartburn less frequent. In addition, the herbs perfectly soothe irritations and protect the esophagus. Examples: linseed drink, as well as flax in tablets (substances contained in it coat the walls of the esophagus, protecting against burning, and neutralize gastric acids), lemon balm and fennel tea (they have a calming and soothing effect on the digestive system - especially recommended, if the stomach usually reacts poorly to stress). There is also ginger, the rhizome of which absorbs acid and soothes irritation. It can be used as an addition to tea (a slice of fresh ginger) or grated in salads and sauces. It is also worth trying sandalwood oil (for aromatherapy) when heartburn increases under stress.
Medicines for heartburn not for pregnant women
- Drugs not for pregnant womenare drugs containing a substance (ranitidine, famotidine) which, by blocking the appropriate receptors in the gastric mucosa, inhibits the secretion of hydrochloric acid. In this way, the pH of the gastric juice is lowered. Although these drugs are very effective, they should not be used by pregnant and breastfeeding women (only when absolutely necessary and prescribed by a doctor), because the substance penetrates both the placenta and into milk.
- Drugs not for pregnant womenare so-called proton pump inhibitors - a group of the most modern drugs that counteract, among others, heartburn. These drugs are also not for you. You will recognize them by the fact that the name of the active substance (it is given on the packaging, under the name of the drug) has the ending "-prazole". They should not be used unnecessarily by pregnant women, but also by nursing mothers - it is not indifferent to the baby.
In line with the principle that prevention is better than cure, try to exclude caffeinated drinks (coffee, strong tea, cola) from your daily diet - they can irritate the esophageal mucosa and loosen the esophageal sphincter, which causes regurgitation of food stomach. Carton and carbonated drinks work in a similar way (carbon dioxide can stretch your stomach excessively, which is the same as eating too much food). Also, limit foods that contain sodium: powdered soups and sauces, baking powder cakes and fast food.
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