Usually taken once a day, these drugs are usually very effective in easing heartburn symptoms. And, these drugs are usually prescribed if no other drugs helped your heartburn condition. There are also surgical procedures that can help your problem with heartburn. Surgery is usually done if no prescription drugs helped in relieving heartburn or if you are already experiencing serious complications from heartburn. Try to reduce your overall food intake and lose some of your weight by exercising. Doing so will help reduce the amount of acid produced in your stomach, which will in turn decrease your chances of experiencing heartburn. The second is to eat healthy. If you can, you should try and maintain a food diary. By knowing about the common causes of heartburn, you will be able to have an idea on how you can prevent it from happening to you or at least reduce its occurrence. First of all, you need to know that heartburn, despite its name, is in no way related to any heart condition. Heartburn is primarily a digestive condition where stomach acid comes in contact with the esophagus. The pain is accompanied by a bitter or sour taste and you feel as if food is reentering your mouth. What you just experienced is a severe case of heartburn. Although the name suggests that it may be related to the heart, you have to remember that heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. This is in fact a digestive problem where the stomach acid comes in to contact with the lining of the esophagus, which causes irritation. Tips That Can Help Prevent Heartburn from Affecting Your Life If you suffer from heartburn, then you have to remember that you re not alone. Heartburn is a condition that millions of people today are suffering from. It is also an age-old condition that people have been experiencing. You have to keep in mind that heartburn is a common condition that is treatable and even preventable. The LES is responsible for keeping stomach acid inside your stomach and if it relaxes, it will open up and allow acid to come in contact with your esophagus. Lastly, you may want to have a supply of antacids ready in case you experience heartburn during the night. Drinking plenty of water can also help neutralize the acid in your stomach.