There are also people who say that ginger tea works best for treating heartburn. Try drinking tea once a day and you will see a big difference as it will be able to reduce the frequency of heartburn you experience. Lastly, you may want to start avoiding eating foods that are known to trigger heartburn. But, if you experience heartburn on a regular basis, you may need to take this more seriously as repeated heartburn attacks will prevent your esophagus lining from recovering and cause serious damage to it. In extreme cases, it may lead to the scarring of the esophagus. You may also develop Barrett s esophagus, where you will be at risk of getting esophageal cancer. The sensation may also spread up in to the throat, jaw, and even on the back. Because of the location where pain is felt, heartburn is often mistaken for chest pain caused by heart attack. However, you need to remember that you should never try and second guess yourself when you feel chest pain for any reason. You felt like vomiting but when you gagged, nothing went out. If all these seem familiar to you, then you are suffering from heartburn. Although heartburn may suggest a form of heart disease, it really doesn t have anything to do with the heart. Heartburn is basically a digestive problem, which occurs when the acid inside our stomach comes in contact with the esophagus lining. In the mechanical method, the doctor will try a method called Manometry. This method is where the doctor will insert a pressure sensor or a manometer through the mouth and in to the esophagus. This device will measure the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter. Another method is endoscopy. This method will allow the doctor to see the esophageal mucosa by passing a thin and lighted tube with a small camera through the mouth. Stay up at least 3 hours after eating your last meal before you go to bed. This will give the acids a chance to decrease before your body is in a position where heartburn will likely occur, which is lying down. If you are a smoker, then you should quit smoking as the nicotine content in cigars and cigarettes can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, which is basically the muscle the controls the opening between the esophagus and the stomach.