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Heartburn and reflux has affected most people in the western world at some stage of their lives; the majority can consider themselves fortunate that it is not a regular occurence. But what about chronic sufferers. Living with heartburn and reflux is not only uncomfortable but it can mean a major disruption to one's life. So is their a magic formula to prevent heartburn from occuring. Well, there isn't a magic formula but there certainly are some preventable measures to decrease the incidence.

First of all, you need to ask yourself some straightforward questions. Do you suffer from heartburn and reflux twice or more a week? Does heartburn affect your day-to-day activities and is it playing havoc with your sleep patterns? If you answered yes to any of these questions then it may be time to re-evaluate your situation and implement some simple changes to both your diet and your lifestyle.

Medications that neutralize the amount of acid in the stomach area and reduce the levels of pain and discomfort are usually prescribed to chronic sufferers by their physician. The good news is that with a good maintenance program involving dietary and lifestyle changes, heartburn and reflux occurence can be reduced significantly. There are a number of factors to consider when assessing whether you can reduce the incidence of heartburn and reflux.

1. You need to avoid certain types of foods. This may differ from person to person but you need to identify which foods are associated with an episode.

2. Are you a "late night snacker.?" It may be a good idea to avoid late night snacks especially just before going to bed.

3. Identifying heartburn triggers. There are some foods you need to avoid and again this may differ from person to person. Spicy foods are generally a "no go zone." Watch your alcohol intake along with fried food and caffeine intake.

4. This is hard for a lot of people to accept but if you are serious about keeping heartburn and reflux moments to a minimum, then making lifestyle changes is a must. If you are overweight then shedding weight should be a strong consideration; wearing loose fitting clothes, especially around the waist area, reducing stress levels and consider quitting smoking if you smoke.

It's always tough to reorganise lifestyle habits but the simple fact is, if what you have been doing up until now has not been working, then change it. Heartburn and reflux doesn't have to run the rule over your life. Sit down with your physician and discuss ways that you could cut down it's incidence. Write down a checklist of things leading up to an attack such as food intake and then go about either eliminating them completely, or, reducing the amount you currently consume. With good maintenance practice, heartburn and reflux can be a thing of the past.