Heartburn is caused when stomach acid is churned up and travels its way up the esophagus. This generally creates a feeling of burning that is located around your heart. But rest assured; this condition has nothing to do with your heart. There are many causes of heartburn, and thus, there are many ways to prevent heartburn from ever occurring. You just need to know what those causes are.

Heartburn occurs because the lower esophageal sphincter has become weakened. The lower esophageal sphincter is what prevents stomach acid from refluxing in the first place. It keeps the acid where it properly belongs; in your stomach. But for some people this valve does not do its job and they end up suffering from heartburn. A weakened esophageal valve is one of the most common causes of acid reflux, or heartburn.
Some other triggers for heartburn include certain foods and drinks such as sodas, chocolate, fried foods, foods high in fat, sugar, alcohol, and even peppermint in some cases. These are all known triggers for heartburn, so if you are a chronic sufferer, try to avoid eating these foods.

Some other causes of heartburn include things so trivial such as eating a big meal shortly before you go to sleep. When you are laying down, it is easier for stomach acid to travel up your esophagus and pool in the back of your throat. This is why some people wake up with a horrible taste in their mouth and a slightly sore throat if they have a habit of eating before bed.

You can also give yourself heartburn by putting too much pressure on your abdomen. If you bend over a lot, say at work, or if you wear tight clothing, or even if you are obese, you could be causing your own heartburn.

If you only suffer from mild heartburn (you only suffer an episode about once a month or every few months) you may not wish to look into heartburn remedies. However, if you are a chronic sufferer (that is, you experience heartburn on a daily level) you may want to look into some heartburn remedies.

Antacids as well as other forms of medication designed for heartburn or acid reflux works by neutralizing the acidity level of the stomach. However, over the course of time, you will find such medications become less and less effective and with this, what you would normally do is either take more and more of them by the day, just so you could obtain relief or ask your doctor for a more potent prescription drug. You know, this kind of approach is actually causing you more harm than good and here is why.

You see, acid reflux or heartburn is not solely caused by the over secretion of your stomach’s gastric juices, but it is also because your esophageal sphincter has incurred damage and is already not functioning normally. With that in mind, the correct way of tackling this digestive problem is to strengthen your esophageal sphincter and reduce the chances of your stomach producing excessive acids. In line with that, here are a couple of things that you can try;

1.) Take honey. Honey either incorporated in your meals or taken in its raw form is a great natural remedy for acid reflux. It has the power to soothe your esophagus and sphincter and it also encourages the regeneration of the damaged muscle tissues of both the sphincter and esophagus.

2.) Follow an acid reflux disease diet. Acid reflux diets are dietary programs specially designed for those suffering from this disease. Basically, an acid reflux diet is consisted of foods which are deemed healthy for the tummy like those which contain loads of essential fatty acids (nuts, fish, oils etc.), fiber (green leafy vegetables, grains etc.) and protein (lean turkey meat, chicken breast etc.).

3.) Instead of drinking alcohol, soft drinks or coffee, stick with your plain old water. As a suggestion, drink water after each meal because it can help keep your sphincter tightly closed.