You should also avoid foods that trigger heartburn. This means that you have to avoid ingesting coffee, fatty foods, alcohol, and acidic fruits, such as oranges and other citrus fruits. Chocolates should also be avoided as well as peppermint and onions. Wearing loose-fitting clothes can also help prevent heartburn. Although most people do experience heartburn once in a while, you have to remember that this condition is something that you shouldn t take lightly, especially if you have a chronic case of this condition. Chronic heartburn is when you experience this condition every single day or almost every day. If this is the case, then you may want to go to your doctor and have it checked. You also need to remember that some exercise routines can cause heartburn. Some exercises can reverse the flow of digestion, which will force stomach acid back in to the esophagus, which will cause heartburn. These exercises include somersaults, forward rolls and other exercises that require you to be upside down. You need to remember that when acid reflux or heartburn occurs, your esophagus will get damaged. Occasional or mild cases of heartburn will let the lining in your esophagus to recover and no long term damage will be done. 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. 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 should also avoid drinking too much alcohol. Wine and beer triggers heartburn because they tend to increase stomach acid production. By cutting down on alcohol, you will be able to improve your condition and reduce the frequency of heartburn you experience. This measures the strength of your stomach acid and a thin tube will be passed through your nose and in to your esophagus. The test will measure the amount of acid reflux that occurs while you do your daily and regular activities for 24 hours. After the diagnosis, you will get treatment for your heartburn as well as for the complications heartburn had on your body, especially on your esophagus.