Chewing Gum – The most important thing that chewing gum does is cause the release of saliva.  One of the hallmarks of GERD is reduced saliva production, which is why chewing gum is one of the most powerful home heartburn remedies.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Heartburn –The acetic acid in vinegar is what relieves heartburn, and acetic acid is the primary ingredient in all vinegar. Vinegar is one of the best heartburn remedies, no matter what the type.

Mustard and Acid Reflux – Mustard does work for heartburn simply because it contains vinegar.  It is especially useful if you can include it into your cooking recipies.

Antacids (Calcium Carbonate) – Effective for occasional use and a temporary solution for heartburn. Negative side effects from prolonged or chronic use such as increased suseptability to the formation of kidney stones make antacids something you want to avoid using regularly over the long-term.

Baking Soda –  Adding a small amount (about 1 tsp) of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) into a glass of water helps neutralize stomach acidity. This can give quick relief to heartburn symtoms as the PH of the stomach is increased. This is not beneficial over the long term because the stomach requires an acidic environment for adequate digestion of foods.
Not to be used by people with hypertension because of the sodium.

Ionized Alkaline Water – Alkaline water is water that has been buffered with an alkaline substance such as bicarbonate. Most ionized alkaline waters have a high PH between 9.5 and 10. Alkaline water works much in the way that antacids do and may neutralize stomach acid. The problem is neutralizing stomach acid negatively impacts digestion which may lead to more reflux down the road and other digestive problems.

Milk and Heartburn – Milk acts as a buffer solution and can help neutralize stomach acid. However, there is a downside in that neutralization of stomach acid impedes digestion rather than enhances it. Milk also may increase acid reflux in those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk proteins.

Celery and Heartburn – Celery may reduce heartburn simply because it requires a lot of chewing to eat; chewing produces saliva, and saliva is the best heartburn remedy around. One good way to incorporate this natural heartburn remedy into your lifestyle is to eat a few pieces of celery at the end of a large meal.

Bromelain supplements – Bromelain is an enzyme that helps reduce inflammation and aids in the digestion of proteins, which might reduce acid reflux. Pineapple contains high concentrations of  bromelain.

Fennel Seed Oil – Fennel is a flowering herb and a popular supplement for some digestive disorders. While no direct research exists on the use of fennel seed and heartburn, the indirect evidence suggests that this very inexpensive supplement may be a great way to improve digestion and stop acid reflux.
Fennel seed supplements may not be appropriate for you if you take any other prescription medication (particularly birth control or other hormonal medications), have a history of seizures, or have plant allergies.

Iodine Supplements – Iodine is essential for thyroid function. There is a link between hypothyroidism and acid reflux, and many people in western nations do not get enough iodine in their diets. If you are not taking medication for hypothroidism and you are not under any salt intake restrictions, consider adding iodized salt to your diet or adding more iodine rich foods such as seaweed or kelp. This may improve your heartburn over time.

Bed Wedge Pillows – Bed wedge pillows are pillows specially designed to reduce acid reflux when sleeping. Make sure the pillow is wedge-shaped and actually puts your torso on an incline; a pillow that only elevates your neck is not going to work.
An alternative to the pillows is to raise the head of your bed by about 4 to 6 inches. You can also purchase inexpensive bed post lifts to elevate the end of the bed where your head rests.

Simple Fix for Heartburn in the Morning – For those people who tend to have an upset stomach and heartburn upon waking and for the early morning hours, having a protein shake (whey protein) in the morning (with nothing else) first thing after waking is a great way to help reduce acid reflux.  Mix up a high-quality protein powder with as little as water as necessary (4 to 5 ounces), and only drink water or coffee in the morning after your reflux has subsided.

It is recommended that you speak to your doctor about your acid reflux if you experience heartburn two times a week or more rather than trying to rely on self treatment.

If you cannot identify specific foods that cause heartburn in your case, it could be the size of the meal that you tend to eat. Overeating is one of the causes of heartburn. When the stomach is overly full, the stomach acid has more of a tendency to leak up into the lower esophagus or throat and cause the burning sensation. Many people experience heartburn after a big holiday dinner.

If you typically eat small meals and avoiding the foods that cause heartburn does not help, look at the beverages that you choose to drink. Coffee and carbonated beverages are causes of heartburn in some people. Alcoholic beverages and citrus drink are causes of heartburn in some people. Chocolate is one of the foods that cause heartburn in some people and drinking a chocolate flavored drink can also lead to heartburn.

If it is not what or how much you eat or drink, it could be the clothes that you wear. Believe it or not, wearing tight clothing is one of the causes of heartburn. Anything that puts pressure on the stomach can cause heartburn, whether it is the excess weight of an obese person, the enlarging abdomen of a pregnant woman or pants that fit too tightly.

If you have looked at the foods that cause heartburn, the beverages that cause heartburn, you eat small meals and wear loose clothing, but still experience heartburn, there are a couple of other things that may be causes of heartburn. Stress or eating quickly in a high-paced environment can lead to heartburn. Smoking can lead to heartburn. And, there are other more serious medical conditions that are causes of heartburn, particularly heartburn that is experienced frequently. Hiatal hernia is one example of a medical condition that often presents with frequent heartburn. If you experience heartburn once or more per week, you should have your symptoms evaluated by your physician to rule out the presence of another health problem.

It may not be necessary to remove all of the foods that cause heartburn from your diet. It may simply be a matter of eating less of them or eating them less often. If you like spicy foods, you may be willing to deal with the symptoms of heartburn in order to keep eating the foods that you like. There are many over the counter and herbal remedies that provide relief for those who occasionally suffer from heartburn. Occasional heartburn is not serious, but frequent heartburn can eventually erode the lining of the esophagus. The frequency and causes of heartburn vary from individual to individual and can only truly be evaluated by you and your doctor.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/242866

Basically, heartburn is a digestive problem where stomach acids come in contact with the esophagus. This causes irritation, which in turn causes us to feel heartburn.

You have to remember that heartburn has nothing to do with the heart as the name may suggest. It is believed to have been named heartburn because of the burning sensation in the chest when the condition occurs.

Generally, heartburn can happen to almost anyone. When you experience heartburn, you will feel a burning sensation that starts in the upper abdomen and works its way up to the breastbone. This feeling will make you feel as if your chest is on fire.

The burning sensation will travel from your diaphragm to your throat and you will taste something sour and bitter on your mouth and feel as if food is reentering your mouth. You feel like vomiting and when you do gag, no food will come out.

Around 20 percent of adults experience a mild case of heartburn. This is easily manageable through changes in diet, antacids, and weight loss. However, for 5 to 15 percent of adults who experience chronic heartburn, home remedies will only provide temporary and partial relief.

If left untreated, chronic heartburn can result in more severe complications.

This is why you have to know how to manage heartburn in order for you to prevent it from developing more severe complications, which can really have a negative effect on your body.

So, how do you manage heartburn?

For starters, you need to know what causes heartburn in order for you to have an idea on how to manage it. Basically, heartburn is caused when stomach acid refluxes or backs up in to the esophagus. This can occur for several reasons.

The first is that it may be because of a weakened lower esophageal sphincter or LES. This is the valve that keeps the stomach acid inside the stomach and prevents the acid from coming in contact with the esophagus. A weakened LES is one of the most common symptoms of GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

You also have to remember that there are certain foods that weaken or relax the LES. Examples of foods are chocolate, peppermint, alcohol, coffee, sugary foods, and fried and fatty foods.

Smoking also weakens or relaxes the LES as well as certain medications.

Pressure on stomach and eating large meals shortly before bedtime can also cause heartburn.  Stress will also cause heartburn as this increases acid production and slow down the emptying of the stomach.

So, in order to manage heartburn, you may want to start by making some lifestyle changes. This means that you have to try eating frequent smaller meals rather than three large ones. Eating slowly can also help as well as avoiding going to bed right after having a big dinner.

You should also start avoiding foods and beverages that triggers heartburn, such as fried and fatty foods, coffee, peppermint, fatty foods, caffeinated and carbonated beverages, chocolates, tomatoes, and citrus fruits.

You should also quit smoking, lose weight, and wear loose fitting clothes.

Drinking warm liquids can also help dilute and flush out stomach acid in the body. Lukewarm water or herbal teas are great examples of warm liquids that you should drink.

These are some of the ways on how you can manage heartburn. Although this may provide relief for mild cases of heartburn, you have to remember that you still need to visit your doctor in case you have a chronic case of heartburn. You will need to take medications in order to control heartburn and also make huge lifestyle changes.