Do you feel like the meal you just ate is making its way back? Or maybe you feel like your chest and throat is on fire.
What you’re experiencing is heartburn. Heartburns are caused when there is acid reflux and the food you’ve consumed is thrown back into the esophagus along with the stomach acid and enzymes.

Heartburns are unpleasant but with the right treatment and simple home remedies, you can deal with it and help prevent it from occurring in the long run as well.

Heartburn Symptoms
Heartburn is a relatively common condition that most of us experience, especially after a heavy meal. The most common heartburn symptoms have been listed below.

• Chest Pain: Pain in your chest is a common symptom of heartburn. Chest pain is experienced especially when you lie down or bend over.
• Dizziness and lightheadedness :  A burning sensation in your chest, especially at the back of your throat.
• Acid reflux sends back food and acids that make the end of your throat sour, hot, salty or acidic. You might also feel like you have food stuck in your throat.
• Hoarseness, sore throat, and coughing.
• Rapid breathing and shortness of breath.
• The pain in your chest might extend to your neck, shoulders, and even arms.

While these are the symptoms of heartburn, it is easy to confuse them with a heart attack which can prove to be fatal. Here’s how you differentiate heartburn symptoms from the symptoms of heart attack.

• With heartburn, pain radiates to the neck, shoulders, and arms, but the radiation is very slow, and it happens gradually. A heart attack, on the other hand, starts with a feeling of dull pressure or pain in the center of your chest, and fullness or tightness in the rest of your body.
• Heartburns occur after a meal, especially a heavy meal or if you sleep or indulge in excess physical activity after a meal. A heart attack can occur at any time.
• You know it is a heartburn symptom if you try antacids and your body responds, giving you relief. Heart attacks, on the other hand, won’t have the same result.
• While dizziness and cold sweats can accompany heartburns, it isn’t very common. However, with a heart attack, cold sweats and dizziness are a common occurrence.
• If you’re having a heart attack you might have a squeezing sensation in your jaw and neck as well. This isn’t the case with a heartburn.
  Heart attacks are usually accompanied by severe back pain as well.
  With heart attacks, the pain starts on the left side, before radiating to the rest of your body.
• Heartburns can cause pain, while heart attacks can cause pain as well as pressure. Your heart rate might spike up, causing your heart to beat fast. Sweating is another sign of a heart attack that a heartburn patient won’t encounter.
• If the symptoms you experience are inclined to that of a heart attack, you must seek medical help as soon as possible. Heartburn, on the other hand, can be treated with a few home remedies.

Apart from medicines, several home remedies help ease heartburn symptoms. Some common home remedies to treat heartburn have been listed below.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Add about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a 1/4th cup of water and you’ll find immediate relief. It helps lower the pH level in your stomach and aides in digestion. Heartburns cause the build-up of pressure, so consuming apple cider vinegar can help keep a lid on this as well. A lot of people think that heartburn is caused due to excess acid, but this isn’t the case. Due to less acid in your stomach, the food gets fermented, and the condition is acid reflux. So consuming the right amount of this solution can help a great deal.

Lemon and water
Like apple cider vinegar, lemon water can help ease a heartburn as well. With a pH of 2, it also has a whole list of nutrients and is rich in vitamin C, which can help ease the pain as well. Squeeze about half a lemon or less to a glass of water and sip on it slowly until you get some relief.

Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera is known for its medicinal properties and it comes in handy when you have heartburn as well. It can reduce any inflammation and can have a soothing effect on your system as it works as an excellent coolant. It can cool the stomach and provide instant heartburn relief.

Water
Water is the most simple solution to so many problems including heartburn. Drink water slowly and in short intervals, it can wash away excess acids, enzymes or foods in your esophageal tract and help clear out any discomfort.

Heartburn is a common problem, but if you experience this on a regular basis, consult your doctor as it can be an indication of risk factors likincluding ulcers and esophageal cancer.