Heartburn: Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Prevent Heartburn Thanks to man s innovation and advancement in technology, we are now able to live comfortably and easily. However, it also brought us problems that we need to learn to deal with. Primarily, the comfort and convenience of modern life have increased the risk of heart related diseases, such as hypertension and stroke. First of all, heartburn occurs when partially digested food mixed with stomach acid or gastric juice escapes the stomach and comes in to contact with the esophagus. This causes pain and a burning sensation behind the breastbone in the chest, which is what we all know as heartburn. A lot of people experiences heartburn at some point in time but if you experience this problem frequently, such as 3 times a week, this means that you have chronic heartburn. This is because chocolate relaxes the LES or the Lower Esophageal Sphincter. The LES acts as a valve to keep stomach acid from pouring in to your esophagus. When it is relaxed, stomach acid can freely bypass the LES and reach your esophagus, which in turn causes heartburn. Fatty foods should also be avoided. Baking soda is also a great way to treat heartburn. Drink water with baking soda that next time you feel the symptoms of heartburn. However, although this will help ease the pain as it will neutralize the acid in your stomach, it is only a short term solution. Aloe Vera juice can also help in neutralizing acid in the stomach. Today, you will find plenty of food and dietary supplements known to manage and treat heartburn. For example, eating an apple a day together with a glass of lukewarm water can help lessen the frequency of heartburn. You can also consider consuming baking soda with water, which is also known as a very effective heartburn remedy. You need to allow your stomach at least 3 hours before you turn in. As much as possible, you have to avoid lying down after eating dinner. You should also avoid drinking alcohol late at night as this increases alcohol production in your stomach and it also relaxes your LES or lower esophageal sphincter.