Sodium bicarbonate is a salt that breaks down to form sodium and bicarbonate in water. This breakdown makes a solution alkaline, meaning it is able to neutralize acid. Because of this, sodium bicarbonate is often used to treat conditions caused by high acidity in the body, such as heartburn.
People take sodium bicarbonate by mouth for bowel cleansing, poor kidney function, indigestion, exercise performance, high potassium in the blood, reviving newborns, stomach ulcers, and urinary stones.
People apply sodium bicarbonate to the skin for chemical burns, dental plaque, earwax removal, eczema, insect bites or stings, infertility, inflammation in the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract, poison oak and poison ivy, itchy skin (pruritus), and scaly, itchy skin (psoriasis).
Sodium bicarbonate is injected intravenously (by IV) for heart resuscitation, poor kidney function, cocaine toxicity, to prevent kidney damage caused by dyes used during some X-ray exams, poisoning from certain allergy medications, reviving newborns, pesticide poisoning, prevention of chemotherapy side effects, breakdown of muscles, and fluid build-up in the lungs caused by a certain chemical.
People also use sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, as an ingredient in baking.