You suffer from frequent heartburn and you think that medicine is the only way to help stop your pain and suffering.

Well you may be wrong. If you have an underlying condition then you should have a doctor find the best way to treat the condition, but before doing that you could always look at some lifestyle changes

Maybe you simply have a case of acid reflux then there are lifestyle changes that you can make to help improve your acid reflux and possibly treat it completely as long as you stick with the changes.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals. When you are continually eating large meals, you expand your stomach and increase the pressure on the esophageal sphincter. This makes it hard for the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to stay closed. By eating less at a meal and more frequently, you can lower your risk of getting acid reflux disease.

Limit your intake of acid stimulating foods and beverages. You should eat the foods that rarely cause heartburn and avoid eating those that do cause you heartburn. Experiment with your foods in this case since everyone is different and for some the foods they can and cannot eat will be different. Some of the major heartburn triggers include coffee, tea, caffeinated and carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, spices, pepper, onions, tomatoes and tomato based products, citrus fruits, fried and fatty foods, chocolate and peppermint.

Don't lie down until at least three hours after you eat. If you lie down to soon the acid that is working to break down your food can flow upwards which is when you feel heartburn. Have a early dinner and say goodbye to late night snacks.

Elevate your head a few inches while you sleep. By laying down flat, you put pressure on the stomach's contents against the LES. With your head, a few inches higher the gravity reduces this pressure.

Lose Weight - if you need to. Obesity creates abdominal pressure, which pushes stomach contents into the esophagus. As little as a ten percent decrease in your weight will improve many people's heartburn symptoms as well as all the other benefits that weight loss brings.

Quit smoking- Cigarette smoke causes the production of saliva and lowers the amounts of bicarbonates in the saliva. Bicarbonate helps to neutralize stomach acid. Therefore, the longer you smoke the more chance you have that your body will be unable to keep down the stomach acid.

Don't drink alcohol - Alcohol should be avoided as much as possible if you suffer from acid reflux. However if you still want an alcoholic beverage then you should do so in moderation.

Relax - Stress isn't directly linked to heartburn, it sometimes leads to behaviors that trigger heartburn. When you are under stress your normal meal and exercise plan may be disrupted. Therefore, find ways to alleviate stress in your life.

Don't wear tight fitting belst or clothes around the waist - Tight jeans or belts will squeeze the stomach and force food up against the LES causing food to reflux into the esophagus.

Keep a heartburn record- Get a spiral notepad and for a week keep a record of what you eat and when you eat it. Then record when you have your acid reflux and how severe each episode of acid reflux is. Write down how your body reacts and what you do to find relief. This information can be taken to your doctor, or you can make the obvious lifestyle changes that you will see you need to make.

Once you have made these changes, keep on recording in your notepad, you should be seeing a reduction in attacks.

You can take this info to your DR so they can help you determine if you need any medication for maximum relief.