You can get rid of heartburn quickly with an over-the-counter antacid, which neutralizes stomach acid in minutes. For longer-lasting or recurring heartburn, the fix involves a combination of the right medication, eating habits, and sleep positioning. Most episodes are harmless and resolve on their own, but the approach you choose depends on whether you need relief right now or want to stop heartburn from coming back.
Fast Relief: Over-the-Counter Options
Three types of OTC medication treat heartburn, and they work on different timelines. Antacids like calcium carbonate (Tums, Rolaids) are the fastest option. They neutralize acid that’s already in your stomach and start working within minutes. The tradeoff is that relief doesn’t last long, typically an hour or two.
H2 blockers (famotidine, sold as Pepcid) take about an hour to kick in but keep working for 4 to 10 hours. They reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces rather than neutralizing what’s already there. If you know a meal is likely to trigger heartburn, taking one beforehand can prevent it.
Proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, sold as Prilosec OTC) are the strongest option but the slowest. They take one to four days to reach full effect because they gradually shut down the acid-producing pumps in your stomach lining. PPIs are meant for frequent heartburn, not a one-off episode. The FDA recommends using OTC PPIs for no more than 14 days at a time and not repeating that course more than every four months unless a doctor says otherwise.
The Baking Soda Shortcut
Plain baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a legitimate antacid that most people already have in their kitchen. The standard dose is half a teaspoon dissolved in a full glass of cold water, taken after meals. It neutralizes stomach acid on contact and can bring relief within minutes.
There are limits, though. You shouldn’t exceed five teaspoons in a single day, and you shouldn’t rely on it for more than two weeks. Overuse can push your blood chemistry too far in the alkaline direction, which creates its own set of problems. If you’re reaching for baking soda regularly, that’s a sign you need a more sustainable approach.
Foods and Drinks That Trigger Heartburn
Certain foods cause heartburn not because they’re acidic themselves, but because they relax the muscular valve between your esophagus and stomach. When that valve loosens, acid flows upward. Peppermint is one of the biggest offenders. It has a direct relaxing effect on the smooth muscle of the digestive tract, including that critical valve. Chocolate does something similar.
Coffee increases acid production in the stomach, and caffeinated coffee does this significantly more than decaf. Tea and mint can also lower the resting pressure of the esophageal valve, making reflux more likely. Fatty foods, alcohol, and citrus are other common triggers, though individual sensitivity varies. If you’re not sure what’s causing your heartburn, keeping a simple food diary for a week or two can reveal patterns faster than guessing.
How You Sleep Matters More Than You Think
Gravity is either your ally or your enemy when it comes to nighttime heartburn. Lying flat lets acid pool at the junction between your stomach and esophagus. Two changes make a significant difference.
First, stop eating at least three hours before bed. This gives your stomach time to empty so there’s less acid available to reflux when you lie down. Second, elevate the head of your bed. Wedge pillows designed for acid reflux typically sit at a 30 to 45 degree angle, raising your head 6 to 12 inches. This is more effective than stacking regular pillows, which tend to bend you at the waist and can actually increase abdominal pressure.
Sleeping on your left side also helps. Your stomach curves to the left, and because of its shape and the angle where it connects to the esophagus, left-side sleeping uses gravity to keep acid pooled away from the opening. Sleeping on your right side does the opposite, positioning the stomach’s contents closer to the valve. If you deal with nighttime heartburn regularly, combining left-side sleeping with a wedge pillow is one of the most effective non-medication strategies available.
Tight Clothing and Extra Weight
Anything that increases pressure on your abdomen can push stomach contents upward. Tight belts, waistbands, and shapewear are easy fixes: loosen or remove them. Excess abdominal fat creates the same kind of pressure from the inside, squeezing the stomach and weakening the esophageal valve over time. Losing weight, particularly around the waist, reduces that mechanical pressure. The American Gastroenterological Association identifies reduced waist circumference as a direct factor in easing reflux symptoms, even with modest weight loss.
Habits That Prevent Recurring Episodes
If heartburn keeps coming back, the pattern usually involves a combination of triggers rather than a single cause. Eating smaller meals reduces the volume of acid your stomach produces at any given time. Staying upright for at least 30 minutes after eating keeps gravity on your side. Avoiding late-night snacking protects your sleep window. Cutting back on coffee, alcohol, and known trigger foods reduces the chemical irritation.
These changes sound simple, but they compound. Someone who eats a large dinner with wine at 9 p.m., then lies down on their right side at 10, is stacking every risk factor at once. Adjusting even two or three of those variables can eliminate the problem entirely for many people.
Signs Your Heartburn Needs Medical Attention
Occasional heartburn after a heavy meal is normal. Heartburn that happens twice a week or more for several weeks may be gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can damage the esophageal lining over time. Several symptoms signal that something more serious is going on:
- Difficulty swallowing or food feeling stuck, which can indicate scarring and narrowing of the esophagus
- Chronic cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath not explained by a respiratory condition
- Hoarseness or voice changes, caused by acid reaching the throat and vocal cords
- Chest pain that feels more like pressure than burning, since esophageal pain triggers the same nerves as heart-related pain
- Unintentional weight loss alongside persistent reflux symptoms
Chest pain in particular deserves caution. If it comes on suddenly, feels like tightness or squeezing, or radiates to your arm or jaw, treat it as a potential cardiac event first and get evaluated immediately. Heartburn chest pain and heart attack pain can feel nearly identical.