Although mild heartburn is more of a nuisance than a real condition, chronic or severe heartburn can be something much more serious. 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. Heartburn: Drugs and Surgery Like you, millions of people today suffer from heartburn and most of them are constantly searching for drugs and treatment methods for relief. You have to keep in mind that heartburn is a condition that existed for thousands of years and modern medicine have yet to find a cure for this condition. If not treated, heartburn can result to a more serious condition, such as scarring of the esophagus and on rare cases, it can even cause cancer of the esophagus. So, what causes you to experience heartburn? Primarily, diet is the main culprit for experiencing heartburn. Certain foods are notorious for causing heartburn. Lastly, you may want to start avoiding eating foods that are known to trigger heartburn. Examples are spicy foods, fatty or fried foods, foods high in sugar, and citrus fruits. Food and beverages containing caffeine should also be avoided as well as carbonated drinks. You really don t have to give up on foods like this but you may want to limit it in order for you to decrease the frequency of heartburn. This will make it difficult for you to swallow food and even liquids. Severe heartburn can also lead to Barrett s esophagus. This condition is where cells similar to that of your stomach lining will develop in your lower esophagus. This condition will increase your risk of developing cancer in the esophagus. Heartburn is basically a digestive problem, which occurs when the acid inside our stomach comes in contact with the esophagus lining. This causes irritation, which ultimately causes heartburn. A lot of people suffer from heartburn and it usually happens right after a big meal. Some people experiences heartburn once a month, which is a mild case of heartburn and others experience it almost every day, which is a chronic case of heartburn.