try eating smaller meals and don't eat two to three hours before bedtime. avoid foods that may trigger heartburn such as fried food citrus tomato spices peppermint chocolate and carbonated drinks. cut back on alcohol and caffeine. stop smoking if you smoke. lose weight if your doctor says you're overweight. cut back on aspirin and pain relievers if you take them often. consider trying over-the-counter antacids such as maalox or tums; acid blockers like axid pepcid tagamet and zantac; or a proton pump inhibitor like prilosec. one final precaution: always talk to your doctor about any chest pain that you may have. sometimes a mild heart attack can masquerade as heartburn and people have ignored chest pain that was really a heart attack.
how do i treat frequent heartburn?