Symptoms of heartburn include pain behind the chest bone, burning sensation in the chest and throat, slight hiccups, etc, according to Mayo Clinic.

These symptoms are experienced more often after late meals, lying down immediately after meals, or after a fatty, spicy meal. It is normal to experience heartburn once in a while, but it may be a sign of underlying disease if it hinders your daily routine.

Here are a few simple steps to avoid heartburn according to experts.

Tight fitting clothes put pressure on the abdomen, stomach and your esophageal sphincter. This may force the food up the esophagus resulting in damage to the tissues by the stomach acids.

If you feel the clothes might be compressing your stomach, loosening the belt, jeans or dress may make you feel comfortable.

Lying down worsens the condition of heartburn and that is why it is necessary to change your sleeping posture if you experience heartburns regularly.

Adjusting your pillows to alleviate your chest and head may not be enough, use them along with a mattress to adjust the angle from your waist up. You can use an adjustable bed or wedge pillows to get relief.

According to a study published in PubMed Central, ginger has been used to treat heartburns for centuries and can be used for treating nausea as well. You can try adding ginger to your foods, soups and tea.

You can drink ginger water by adding a slice of it to warm water, use ginger tea bags in boiling water or use dried ginger roots in your soups or broth. Avoid gingerale you get at the market, because they are often filled with artificial flavours. Moreover, carbonated drinks can worsen heartburns.

According to Healthline, licorice root is also an old remedy for heartburn which increases the mucus coating of the esophagus and protects it from the damage caused due to the stomach acids. (SOURCE)

There are licorice supplements available in the market but you must avoid their over use and consult your doctor since it interferes with certain medications, lowers potassium levels and increases blood pressure.

According to GERD Society, aloe vera can not only soothe your skin and cure sunburns, but its cooling effect can help treat the burning sensation during an acid reflux, GERD or heartburn.

You can drink half a glass of aloevera juice before meals to prevent a heartburn after the meal.

Heartburn can be managed and prevented with the smallest of changes in your eating and sleeping patterns. According to Mayo Clinic,

• You can avoid late night meals so that your body has enough time to digest the food before you go to bed.

• You can wait for at least 3 hours before lying down after a meal.

• A brisk walk after a meal may prevent heartburns.

• You can avoid large meals and replace this habit with smaller meals through out the day.

Smoking is linked with GERD and development of acid reflux due to the relaxation of esophageal and abdominal muscles. Moreover, tobacco can damage the esophageal and stomach lining.

According to a study on PubMed Central, chewing gum can reduce the symptoms of heartburn, especially the burning sensation if you chew gum for an half hour after meal.

This is because chewing gums encourage the production of more saliva which mixes with the acids in the esophagus diluting them and reducing its harmful effects.

According to the GI Society, baking soda can be used as an effective treatment for occasional heart burn attacks due to the presence of an active compound- sodium bicarbonate.

You can mix half a spoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it. The alkaline pH of the baking soda reduce the levels of acid and reduces the symptoms of heart burn.