It s also easy to mistake a heart attack with heartburn, which is why you have to seek medical attention immediately after feeling any type of chest pain. Never rule out heart attack as a cause of chest pain even if you frequently experience heartburn. In most cases, heartburn will occur 30 to 60 minutes after meals. So, what causes you to experience heartburn? Primarily, diet is the main culprit for experiencing heartburn. Certain foods are notorious for causing heartburn. Included are fatty and fried food, garlic, mint, tomatoes, and chocolate. Spicy food is also notorious for causing heartburn. There are also beverages that you must avoid. Sugars, fatty foods, peppermint, coffee, chocolate, and alcohol can weaken or relax the LES, which can let stomach acid reflux to the esophagus, causing heartburn. Eating large meals before bedtime can also cause heartburn. Obesity, frequent bending over, lifting, and wearing very tight clothes can produce pressure on the stomach, which in turn causes heartburn. This way, the doctor conducting the procedure will be able to see how much damage has been done to the esophagus from stomach acid. The specialist may also conduct a diagnosis where they will test the strength of your LES muscle, which is basically a valve that separates the stomach acid from your esophagus. A lot of people suffer from heartburn and it usually happens right after a big meal. Some people experiences heartburn once a month, which is a mild case of heartburn and others experience it almost every day, which is a chronic case of heartburn. Mild heartburn is not that serious and you may even consider it more of a nuisance than an actual condition that should be taken seriously. Stress will also cause heartburn as this increases acid production and slow down the emptying of the stomach. So, in order to manage heartburn, you may want to start by making some lifestyle changes. This means that you have to try eating frequent smaller meals rather than three large ones. Eating slowly can also help as well as avoiding going to bed right after having a big dinner.