For example, it can be because of gender. Women tend to be more prone to chronic heartburn than men. Some speculate that a woman s lower esophageal sphincter malfunctions more frequently than men, which means that gastric juices or stomach acid flows back in to the esophagus. Women who are pregnant are at an even higher risk of developing chronic heartburn. You need to keep in mind that frequent heartburn means exposing your esophagus to stomach acid for long periods of time. Your esophagus may get damaged and this may lead to difficulty in swallowing. In more serious cases, you may even lose weight and become frequently dehydrated. In rare cases, you may vomit blood or have small amounts of blood in your stool. Eating fried and fatty foods can also cause heartburn. You have to remember that cigarettes contain nicotine, which adds to the production of acids in your stomach. It also irritates your esophagus and will loosen the sphincter, which is primarily responsible for keeping stomach acid in the stomach and prevent it from coming in contact with the esophagus. 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. This means that you have to avoid ingesting coffee, fatty foods, alcohol, and acidic fruits, such as oranges and other citrus fruits. Chocolates should also be avoided as well as peppermint and onions. Wearing loose-fitting clothes can also help prevent heartburn. Tight clothing can squeeze the midsection of your body, which will push the stomach content upward. 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.