To those divers out there that suffer from heart burn and acid reflux, i would like to give you some advice. I wouldn’t even think about setting off on a day of diving without the particular white powder that is baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate). This cheap easily found, powder is the best quick fix for acid reflux or heart burn. If you are a sufferer then you will know the discomfort it causes while diving. Enough to ruin any dive trip. Obviously prevention is better than a cure so before diving avoid eating fried, fatty or spicy food. Other ways of avoiding acid reflux include eating smaller meals, not eating just before going to sleep and not drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. Having said that most of us have our vices and you may find yourself on a live aboard boat diving 5 times a day, a few days in a row and food options may be limited and often fried. If your stuck at sea you can not pop to the nearest chemist for some over priced tablets to reduce heart burn the best solution is to add 1/2 a tea spoon of baking soda to a big glass of water. This should give an almost instant relief from the burning sensation of heart burn that only gets worse when breathing the dry air from a scuba tank. It works because it has a very alkaline PH so lowers the acidity of your stomach. For this same reason, baking soda is great for cleaning and removing bad smells around the house and even works great for fresher breath and cleaner teeth if added to tooth paste. So next time you’re packing your bags for a dive trip don’t forget the baking soda.
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