What can I do to not have heart burn?

Raise the head of your bed about 2”
Stop drinking coffee or anything else that is acidic.
Stay away from spicy and/or greasy foods.
Get yourself some Zantac.
Drinking some water with baking soda mixed in may help.

I used to carry Tums because of frequent heart burn. That was 15 years ago or more. I think putting too much food and/or booze down my throat was the cause.

Now I stop eating and drinking before I feel too full.

On the occasions when I do eat too much, I mix ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ cup water and drink it. Instant relief.

@Call_Me_Jay Tums make me feel so sick. They make me want to puke. So, no to Tums for me.

Drink a small amount of apple cider vinegar diluted with water.

https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/apple-cider-vinegar-for-acid-reflux#overview1

I have chronic acid issues. There are numerous meds which can be prescribed not available over the counter. It took several tries before I found one that is a good fit for me.

The advice @kritiper gave is good. Raising my head and upper torso makes a significant difference. In fact, I actually slept in a recliner for three years before finding medication which worked well. Gawd, I had no idea how much it would mean to me when I could sleep on my side again!

Ask your doctor to get tested for H. pylori. My buddy in college had crippling heartburn and he was tested for it and it came back positive. A few weeks of pills and it went away.

I’ve been taking Prevacid for many years. Life before it was far less pleasant.

If you don’t need a daily med, try Peocid A/C (famotidine.) It takes 30 min to an hour to work, but is effective.

Changes in diet would work wonders, but that’s no fun…

Thirteen year olds don’t usually get heartburn.

@janbb I’ve been getting bad heartburn since I was 12. It makes no sence.

Is the heartburn right up the center of your chest? Or, do you feel it more towards one side or the other?

I almost never get heartburn, but when I do it seems related to being constipated. If you are constipated try treating that. Eat a handful of raisins every day with a glass of water and see if it helps. In a few days you’ll know if it helps.

Some people combat heartburn by taking Prilosec for two weeks, and then are better for months or years. It doesn’t work for everyone.

Zantac and Pepsid are another alternative.

I would try a few options similar to Tums before moving onto “drugs.” Maybe Maalox or Mylanta.

I really think it’s worth telling your doctor the next time you get a check up and let him/her help you. Even though you can get a lot of the drugs I mentioned over the counter, if you are under 18 (I don’t remember how old you are) then I wouldn’t take any of them without consulting with a doctor.

Sometimes both

Sometimes on the side? Is it behind your breast sort of? If, which side, left or right? Or, down at the level of your belly button or below on a side?

It’s mostly on the left side. Sometimes the pain does go down to my belly. Mostly on the right.

Is the pain on the left shortly after you eat, or even while eating? Within 20 minutes and then it goes away in about an hour after you stop eating?

Yeah.

That sounds like your stomach, not heartburn. Heartburn is usually up your esophagus. In the middle of your chest between the bottom of your neck and above your breasts right in the center. Possibly the lining of your stomach is inflamed or irritated or reacting to a particular food. Could be something else too, thetecare lots of possibilities.

I think you should keep a food diary, and a pain diary for a week and see a doctor. Write down what you ate, the time, where the pain is, what time the pain started and stopped, and see if there is a pattern and bring it to the doctor.

If you are constpated regularly try the raisins or prunes, and see if it helps. Just 10–20 raisins or one or two prunes a day with water.

Get capsules that combine a prebiotic and a probiotic and take one or two per day. Heartburn, oddly enough, is related to gut bacteria. This formula should fix that.

I know that heart burn hurts. I suffer from GERD which is gastroesophageal reflux disease. Most doctors will tell you to lose some weight. That really does help. Drink milk to coat your stomach. Try to stay away from foods with grease in it and avoid ketchup.