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. You should also avoid foods and beverages that reduce pressure on the LES or the lower esophageal sphincter. This means that you have to avoid chocolate, caffeine containing food and beverages, peppermint, and fried or fatty foods. You also need to avoid or lessen your consumption of foods that can damage your esophagus, such as spicy food, oranges, pineapple or citrus fruits and juices, tomato sauce and foods that contain a lot of tomatoes. If you are a smoker, then you should quit smoking as the nicotine content in cigars and cigarettes can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, which is basically the muscle the controls the opening between the esophagus and the stomach. These are some of the ways on how you can manage heartburn. Having a severe case of heartburn will lead to much worse complications. Avoid doing any activities that forces acid back in to the esophagus, such as lifting, straining, and coughing. You also have to avoid wearing tight fitting clothes as this can produce pressure on your midsection forcing stomach contents, such as stomach acid, upwards to your esophagus. After eating, avoid lying down. You will often find that heartburn is associated with a sour taste in the mouth. This is actually the stomach acid that you taste, which explains the sour taste. Eating big meals will worsen your heartburn problem because your body or your stomach will produce excess acid in order to digest huge amounts of food. If it doesn t work properly, it will allow the stomach acid to come in contact with the esophagus, which in turn causes heartburn. This is a common symptom of GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Another cause is by eating certain foods, such as fried and fatty foods, chocolates, coffee, peppermint, sugars, and alcohol.