If you love spicy food, such as Mexican food, then you may want to cut back on this type of food while you are pregnant. Spicy food can get your stomach to produce more acid, which will increase the likelihood of you experiencing heartburn. Fried and fatty foods should also be avoided as this type of food is hard to digest, which will force your stomach to produce more stomach acid. This is why you have to know about the available medical treatments in order for you to properly manage heartburn and take control of your life from heartburn. Over the counter antacids are the oldest and also one of the most effective treatments for heartburn. Hundreds of years ago, people chewed on chalk to ease heartburn. Leaving chronic heartburn untreated can lead to more severe complications that will significantly have a negative effect on your life. So, what causes heartburn and why should you take it seriously? For starters, heartburn happens when the stomach acid refluxes or backs up in to the esophagus. This can happen because of several reasons. Certain foods are notorious for causing heartburn. Included are fatty and fried food, garlic, mint, tomatoes, and chocolate. Spicy food is also notorious for causing heartburn. There are also beverages that you must avoid. Acidic beverages, such as orange juice and sodas as well as alcohol and coffee are known to cause heartburn. So, how can you tell if you are already suffering from a chronic heartburn? Well, if you experience heartburn once a month, this is considered to be acute or mild. If you experience heartburn once a week, this is a moderate case of heartburn. But, when you experience heartburn in an everyday basis, this is what is considered as a chronic or severe case of heartburn. You need to keep in mind that your goal is to stop acid from reaching your esophagus and by eating citrus fruits, which are acidic in nature, you are worsening the problem. This means that you may need to avoid fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits. Tomatoes are also acidic and it should also be avoided.