Heartburn, or acid reflux, is a painful condition of the digestive system. It occurs when stomach acids move up through the esophagus, which is located in the area of your throat.

There are certain symptoms which will let you know quite clearly if you’re experiencing an attack of heartburn. The most common sign is a burning sensation in the chest or throat. Difficulty in swallowing, a tight throat and ongoing belching are other signs of heartburn.

Visit your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis, so that you can know the severity of your condition. Perhaps you’ll get a prescription medication to treat the condition. But most likely your doctor will also advise you to avoid certain foods.

You’re more likely to experience heartburn after a large meal, especially if it included certain foods that are known to trigger heartburn. Foods that cause heartburn are high in acid, like citrus fruit and tomatoes. Other common triggers are fatty foods and fried foods. And spicy foods such as garlic, onions, pepper and chili will also cause problems.

Healthy foods, too, can sometimes be the cause of your discomfort. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower are just some examples.

The foods you eat aren’t the only trigger for an attack of heartburn. Many beverages also lead to painful discomfort. You’ll need to stay away from caffeinated beverages. This means, tea, coffee and various soft drinks.

It’s not just what you eat; it’s how much you eat. Very often a heavy meal will lead to heartburn. Your stomach just can’t handle all that food at once. It ends up returning to the esophagus, carrying with it the stomach acids that were starting to break it down.

In order to figure out your triggers, you should keep a food diary detailing everything you eat in a day. This will help you determine which foods or beverages are causing your heartburn. Whenever you feel the burn of acid reflux, be aware of what you’ve just eaten.

It can be hard to change your eating habits, though. You need to start small. Set simple goals at first, like consuming smaller portions of food at each meal. Then start eliminating certain foods from your diet.

The best way to manage heartburn is to change your eating habits. At first you’ll probably have a sense of deprivation. But you need to remind yourself of what will happen if you continue in your current eating habits. You’ll never experience total heartburn relief if you don’t make changes to your lifestyle.

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Are you one of the 15 million people who suffers from acid reflux? Symptoms range from an acidic taste in the mouth and burping, to abdominal and chest pains. Luckily, there are many ways to treat reflux symptoms, so it doesn’t have to become a debilitating disease.

Some heartburn remedies simply involve a change in habits. One cause of this malady is over-eating, which makes it a big problem around holidays. “The holiday season is clearly one of the worst times of the year for patients with GERD,” says William Chey, M.D., a University of Michigan gastroenterologist. “The large amounts of food we eat during the holidays, and the types of food served during the holidays - especially fatty and caffeinated foods - can be a recipe for disaster for chronic heartburn sufferers.” When we eat large amounts of food, the stomach stretches and the Lower Esophageal Sphincter naturally relaxes. Instead of three big meals or one big meal, try eating smaller meals continuously throughout the day to keep acid production normalized.

If you’re a chronic sufferer, there are some basic foods you should avoid as much as possible. Fatty, greasy food can be a big problem, since the stomach needs to produce more acid to break down these substances. You know where that excess acid winds up — coming back up the esophagus! Less obvious culprits are caffeine in drinks, ice cream and chocolate, which may also exacerbate heartburn acid reflux. Red wine is a frequent cause of heartburn too, as are spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomatoes, spearmint and pepper.

The time of day and post-eating rituals have a significant impact on heartburn and acid reflux. Dr. William Chey adds, “Gravity actually serves as an important barrier for acid reflux during the day. So when you lie down at night after eating a meal, you no longer have that gravity barrier to prevent acid reflux.” It’s recommended that you try to remain relatively upright for two or three hours after eating. People who try lifting and bending immediately after eating a big meal typically have trouble with too. Avoid tight clothing that may worsen symptoms. Smoking also causes the esophagus valve to relax.

Acid reflux is a sneaky disease that comes on suddenly and requires immediate relief. Keeping some over-the-counter products like Alkaseltzer, Tums, Pepcid AC or Maalox in the cabinet can usually treat the average heartburn symptoms. However, chronic sufferers should see their doctor and look into Prilosec or Nexium for stronger treatment. There is a lot of research that can be found online at WebMD.com to help people gauge which medications are safe for them. However, often times, trial and error reveals the best treatment.

Now that you know the triggers and treatments for acid reflux, you won’t have to dread that extra drumstick this holiday season. Just remember not to lay down or lift things right after eating. Keep antacids on hand for emergencies and avoid that extra spicy treat.

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Many people experience heartburn on a regular basis. If you’re one of them, you might find that your favorite foods can seem like they’re the enemy. Minutes or hours after enjoying a meal, a painful burning sensation arises in your chest. And it can sometimes even drive your meal right back up into the esophagus.

However, for most people with a heartburn condition, it’s entirely possible to make peace with food. They just need to learn which foods are safe to eat and which ones to stay away from.

The only way to ease the discomfort of your heartburn is to lower your levels of stomach acids. You’ll also want to soothe and restore the lining of your esophagus, which shields your body from harm.

By itself, healthy eating isn’t a good enough treatment of heartburn. Eating according to the food pyramid will have some impact on easing your symptoms. But those who suffer from heartburn will most likely have to make some other changes in their eating habits as well.

If you study the food pyramid, you’ll see that grains should be the focus of your diet. When it comes to heartburn relief, grains are particularly essential for good health and pain management. Concentrate particularly on consuming more whole grains. Stay away from highly processed, starchy products that contain a lot of sugar and fat.

Fruits and vegetables make up the next section of the pyramid, and it’s advised that you eat an abundance of these foods. However, when it comes to heartburn, you need to choose wisely. Some of these products can actually make your condition worse.

To avoid any issues, stick with fruits such as apples, pears and grapes that are unlikely to aggravate the problem. But fruits that contain citric acid, such as grapefruit, lemons, oranges and limes, can lead to an instant outbreak of heartburn.

The majority of vegetables won’t trigger heartburn symptoms and should be eaten in abundance. But remember to serve them up healthfully. Avoid using generous amounts of fat as a garnish, particularly those that are considered to be unhealthy. Heartburn is very frequently triggered by consuming excessive quantities of fat.

When choosing which proteins to include in your diet, always opt for the lower fat products. For example, you can’t go wrong with lean meat. The well trimmed cuts are your best choice. Stay away from those that are marbled with fat.

Similar to vegetables, though, how you prepare your healthy cut of meat is important. Bake, grill, or broil it and your heartburn symptoms are less likely to make an appearance.

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There are many women who suddenly develop uncomfortable heartburn symptoms while they’re pregnant. One of the reasons for this is the elevated hormone levels in a pregnant woman’s body. This leads to softening of the ligaments which normally keep the lower esophageal sphincter tightly closed. This means gastric acid is more easily able to make its way up the esophagus and throat.

Another reason why pregnant women experience heartburn is because of increased pressure in the abdominal region due to the growth of the baby. Often that can cause the stomach acids to climb up to the esophagus.

There are various methods by which a pregnant woman can reduce the discomfort caused by heartburn. Here are some tips that should provide some heartburn relief.

* Stay away from foods that are known to cause heartburn. Included in this list are spicy foods, tomato products, chocolate, fried and fatty foods, and citrus.

* Stay away from caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda.

* Keep away from alcohol. It’s harmful to your baby and is also a contributor to heartburn.

* Consume smaller portions of food. Eating mini meals spaced throughout the day will ease the pressure on the stomach.

* Eat slowly.

* Don’t lie down to sleep until it’s been three hours since your last meal. You’re less likely to experience nighttime heartburn.

* Drink lots of water, at least 8 to 10 glasses each day. However, don’t drink too much while you’re eating. This leads to excess stomach expansion which helps to push out the gastric acids in your stomach.

* While sleeping keep your head elevated approximately six to eight inches. A wedge pillow might be useful for this. This will assist gravity to keep the acids in your stomach from making their way up the esophagus.

* Avoid restrictive clothing. Tightness around the waist and stomach will trigger heartburn.

* Don’t bend from the waist; use your knees instead. This puts less pressure on your stomach.

* Don’t slouch. Sit upright in a comfy chair.

* Keep weight gain to healthy levels. Too much extra weight puts more stress on your stomach.

* Stop smoking. This is not just bad for the baby, it’s a frequent cause of heartburn.

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