Stanford gastroenterologist Lauren Gerson, MD, recently spoke with AOL Health about ways to help ease or prevent heartburn, a condition that 10 percent of Americans experience on a daily or weekly basis. Among her tips for people suffering from GERD: eat an early dinner, sleep with your head elevated, and avoid certain things, like spicy foods, wine, and chocolate. But:
"I don't believe in total deprivation." If you get heartburn after drinking red wine, go easy on the red wine; if you love chocolate, try eating a small amount, like half a chocolate bar, and see how your tolerate it, she says. The food triggers for heartburn are completely different from patient to patient, she says. "Most patients are not bothered by all of these things, but have one or two that bother them."
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