It starts small, and grows bigger. It’s sometimes ignorable, but still pain that still manages to be awfully annoying and can be much more than that. Heartburn affects millions of people all over the world, and many don’t know how easy it is to reduce the effects. There are several simple ways of reducing heartburn that I have found worked for me, and I hope they will work for you as well.

I’d like to hasten to mention that I am not a doctor, or anyone with a position of authority on heartburn or acid reflux. I am merely a person who has had heartburn over the last few years, and I have developed several ways of dealing with it, after trying several pills that didn’t work, and a few that did, but not quite well enough.

I have a list here, of three things that worked for me. I’ve placed them in order of how much I think they’ve helped, although it’s hard to tell, from the most significant, to the least significant.

The most significant way I control heartburn is by taking pills, regularly, to reduce acid. It doesn’t work completely though, and some of the better ones can get expensive, so I rely on the other methods below to keep my comfort level where it should be.

Taking pills regularly is very important because it tries to heal as well as reduce acid. Although you might think it’s ok to just take a pill when you need it, it’s much better to take them regularly. I used to just have pills after I felt the warning signs coming, but I found that the best way to control acid reflux is to take the pills constantly, so that they work together.

 An acid reflux pill isn’t a one-time pill, but part of a system that lowers acid levels and heals your body at the same time. They take time to work, so when you skip a pill, the results aren’t noticeable until later.

It’s very common to be told to sleep with the head of your bed raised, and also very effective. The inclined position allows the acid to rest in your stomach, where it should be, instead of in your throat, where it hurts. It only takes a few pillows and a moment or two to raise the head of your bed, and it yields good results.

The other, less well-known, way to control acid reflux while you sleep is by lying on your left side. This works because your stomach is situated on the left side of your body, and the esophagus is in the middle. That makes the esophagus higher than the stomach, and gravity will work for you, keeping the fluids in your stomach, away from your throat. You’ll notice a big difference when you sleep on your left side, instead of your right, and it’s even better than your stomach or back.

This is another common way of reducing heartburn, and it may be that I’m not giving it enough credit. I know it works, but I trust sleeping the right way just a bit more. Anyway, when you eat foods high in acids, that makes the situation in your stomach much worse. You can reduce this affect by eating foods that reduce acid, but that’s hard to do when you don’t have too many options. It’s easiest just to know the worst offenders, and the best foods, and eat accordingly. Here’s a list of foods that are good, and one of foods that are bad:     (http://heartburn.about.com/cs/dietfood/a/heartburnfoods1.htm)

Good:

1.       Apples, Bananas

2.       Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Broccoli, cabbage, green beans

3.       Lean Meats

4.       Low-Fat Cheeses

5.       Mineral Water (personally, I think that stuff is disgusting!)

Bad:

1.       Caffeinated Foods: Pop, Chocolate L, Tomatoes

2.       Orange, Lemon, and Grapefruit Juice

3.       Macaroni and Cheese, Spaghetti

Essentially, it seems that high fat, high caffeine, and spicy foods seem to be the worst offenders in regard to acid reflux, but that some foods can counteract it. I usually don’t pay too much attention to what I eat, but I keep an eye out for certain foods, like pizza, lots of chocolate, pop, and even orange juice. I used to have orange juice every day for breakfast, and I still do, but I am now drinking a low-acid version, which I believe helps a lot.

It doesn’t take too much to control your heartburn. A little work on your own, a little help from pills, and you should be all set. As soon as you have the good habits started, you can begin to forget about acid, and focus on what really matters – sleep!