Lifestyle changes:
The foremost step which should be carried out when treating heartburn is making some lifestyle changes. Some examples of these changes are consuming smaller portions more frequently instead of having three large meals a day; limiting the consumption of foods which are highly acidic and which encourage the formation of acids in the stomach; raising the level of the head – which should be a few inches higher than the level of the stomach – while sleeping; trying to reduce weight if you are overweight or obese; avoid smoking and drinking alcohol; and avoiding wearing tight-fitting clothes while sleeping. These small changes could greatly reduce the likelihood of heartburn.
Diet:
An improper diet is the cause of heartburn for 94% of the cases. It is thus very important to manage the diet. Foods like fried foods, those rich in fat, chocolate, peppermint, caffeine, butter, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and onions should be avoided when you frequently suffer from heartburn.
Over-the-counter remedies:
Histamine receptor antagonists are one of the drugs used to reduce the possibility of acid reflux in the stomach and is also used to treat heartburn. Another reliable medication is antacids which work by neutralizing the acids present in the stomach. This in turn gives relief to heartburn.
Prescribed medicines:
Many doctors recommend using prescribed medicines in order to treat heartburn. This helps in reducing the acid formation in the stomach. Some of the prescribed medicines are aciphex, nexium, prevacid, prilosec, and protonix. Note, however, that these medicines should be prescribed only by doctors.
Promotility agents:
Promotility agents help in reducing the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by emptying the gastric acids slowly. They also help speed digestion in order to prevent the acid from staying in stomach for a long time.
Alternative treatments:
People who are suffering from chronic heartburn will always need an alternative treatment, and these are what are known as the natural or home remedies. These treatments range from folk to homeopathic remedies and also involve a change in the diet.
Fundoplication:
This is a type of laparoscopic surgery which involves wrapping the stomach’s upper curve around the bottom part of the esophagus and sewing it into position in order to fortify the lower esophageal sphincter. This is the valve that is responsible for preventing the backflow of stomach acids into the esophagus. In the case of heartburn, however, this valve fails and stomach contents are regurgitated into the esophagus.
Fundoplication serves to also heal the esophagus, which is obviously already defective when the person often experiences heartburn or is suffering from GERD. This type of surgery is undertaken when the condition has not been managed well with medications or when the GERD symptoms are likely caused by a hiatal hernia.
