Chronic heartburn will not only prevent you from living a normal life, but it can also be very dangerous to your overall health. You need to remember that when acid reflux or heartburn occurs, your esophagus will get damaged. Occasional or mild cases of heartburn will let the lining in your esophagus to recover and no long term damage will be done. Although most of us suffer from a minor case of heartburn, you have to consider the fact that this condition can really be a nuisance as it can hinder us from doing our daily activities normally. You have to remember that heartburn is a lifestyle disease. It is basically caused by poor eating habits and poor lifestyle. This way, the doctor conducting the procedure will be able to see how much damage has been done to the esophagus from stomach acid. The specialist may also conduct a diagnosis where they will test the strength of your LES muscle, which is basically a valve that separates the stomach acid from your esophagus. These foods are hart to digest and it can also cause damage to your lower esophageal sphincter or LES. The LES acts as a valve that lets food in to the stomach and keeps stomach acid out. When the LES doesn t function properly, it will let stomach acid flow freely in to the esophagus when you experience acid reflux. As a heartburn sufferer, you will always hear doctors telling you to take drugs in order to relieve the symptoms. And, they will also tell you that heartburn cannot be cured. However, this is not always true as there are quite a lot of people who have successfully treated heartburn without depending too much on medications. You also have to avoid wearing tight fitting clothes as this can produce pressure on your midsection forcing stomach contents, such as stomach acid, upwards to your esophagus. After eating, avoid lying down. Use gravity to your advantage. Sit, stand up or walk around for at least 3 hours after a big meal.