This is the valve that keeps the stomach acid inside the stomach and prevents the acid from coming in contact with the esophagus. A weakened LES is one of the most common symptoms of GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. You also have to remember that there are certain foods that weaken or relax the LES. If you are a smoker and you frequently experience heartburn, then you may want to stop smoking. Cigarettes and cigars contain nicotine, which can weaken the sphincter and cause acid from stomach to come in contact with the esophagus. These are some of the ways on how you can control and manage heartburn. This means that you have to avoid food like peppermint, chocolate, coffee or any other beverages or food that contains caffeine, and fatty or fried foods. You also have to lessen your consumption of food that damages the esophagus, such as spicy food, tomatoes, citrus juices and fruits, and even tomato sauces. Doing so will help reduce the amount of acid produced in your stomach, which will in turn decrease your chances of experiencing heartburn. The second is to eat healthy. If you can, you should try and maintain a food diary. This way, you will be able to track down food that causes you to experience heartburn. However, the mentioned remedies will only give partial or temporary relief to people suffering from severe or chronic heartburn. The main cause of heartburn is when the stomach acid backs up or refluxes to the esophagus. This can happen for several reasons. The first is when the lower esophageal sphincter or LES is weakened or relaxed and doesn t do its job properly. The first is to eat more meals a day but in smaller servings rather than having 3 large meals a day. This will help in preventing the body to produce excessive stomach acid, which is one of the main causes of heartburn. Eating slowly will also help in managing heartburn. Try to put your eating utensils down between bites and chew your food at least 14 times.