Most drugs of this type may be purchased over the counter and what it does is that it decreases the amount of acid that your stomach produces. Usually, they are taken twice a day and they provide relief from heartburn within 30 minutes of taking it. You have to remember that although it can be purchased over the counter, you still need a doctor s prescription for higher doses. The rule here is to see the doctor if you need antacids to get relief from heartburn for more than 2 weeks. This may be a sign that you may be suffering from a more complicated condition or a more serious condition that causes heartburn. Your doctor will be able to provide you with better diagnosis and administer the proper or appropriate treatment for your condition. Fatty foods should also be avoided. This is because they are hard to digest. And, when the stomach is having a hard time digesting food, it will produce more acid, which is what you don t want your body to do if you are suffering from heartburn. Foods To Eat Apples and bananas are great for helping you deal with 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. Examples are spicy foods, fatty or fried foods, foods high in sugar, and citrus fruits. This is because they tend to overeat and overeating will increase the amount of acid inside the stomach. Try to reduce your overall food intake and lose some of your weight by exercising. Doing so will help reduce the amount of acid produced in your stomach, which will in turn decrease your chances of experiencing heartburn. First of all, heartburn occurs when partially digested food mixed with stomach acid or gastric juice escapes the stomach and comes in to contact with the esophagus. This causes pain and a burning sensation behind the breastbone in the chest, which is what we all know as heartburn. A lot of people experiences heartburn at some point in time but if you experience this problem frequently, such as 3 times a week, this means that you have chronic heartburn.