Spicy food can get your stomach to produce more acid, which will increase the likelihood of you experiencing heartburn. Fried and fatty foods should also be avoided as this type of food is hard to digest, which will force your stomach to produce more stomach acid. You also need to drink plenty of water. Also, increasing fiber intake will help bind stomach acids together, which will help in preventing heartburn. Smoking is one of the main triggers of heartburn. The nicotine you inhale will increase the production of stomach acid and it will also weaken the LES or the lower esophageal sphincter. The LES acts as a valve which is primarily responsible for keeping stomach acid inside the stomach and prevent it from reaching your esophagus. You also have to understand that heartburn is in no way related to the heart. It s simply called heartburn because you will feel a burning sensation on your chest. Heartburn is in fact a digestive condition. This is where the stomach acid comes in contact with the esophagus causing irritation and ultimately causing heartburn. This is not really a good thing to do as you will become dependent on the pills and you are actually letting heartburn take control of your life. If you are open minded enough, you may want to try out alternative treatments for heartburn instead of just popping those heartburn pills whenever you experience the symptoms. Well, you basically need to watch out for that burning feeling in the chest. 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. Usually, we experience it right after a meal. However, you have to remember that there is such a thing as a chronic heartburn and this may have a negative effect on your life. So, how can you tell if you are already suffering from a chronic heartburn? Well, if you experience heartburn once a month, this is considered to be acute or mild.