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Heartburn. 

'Heartburn' This is the burning sensation in your chest that usually occurs shortly after you have eaten a meal. It is especially common after eating a meal high in 'grease' and or 'acids', or when you just simply ate too much. Sometimes it can be known as 'acid indigestion'.

Heartburn in name only.

Because this burning usually is felt in the same area of the chest that the heart resides, in, it is commonly called 'heartburn', but of course the condition really has nothing to do with your heart. It can, however, actually mimic the symptoms of 'heart disease', such as shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.

Acid attacking the esophagus.

The actual pain that is caused in heartburn is caused by acids backwashing up out of the stomach and up into the esophagus. The muscle that is supposed to contain these acids in the stomach is called the 'esophageal sphincter'

This mechanism, is not always perfect in function. When you over eat, you put an abnormally large amount of pressure on this sphincter muscle, and it is more likely to fail in its job and let some of the acids into your esophagus, thus causing 'heartburn'. Laying down in a horizontal position, just after eating will also put more pressure on your 'esophageal sphincter'.

Fatty foods can cause heartburn attack. 

Also, greasy foods are better able to slip by this muscle, which is why greasy foods are especially prone to causing 'heartburn'.

aluminum hydroxide is a much more effective heartburn treatment. 

In most instances, cases of heartburn are occasional, and result just from a particularly greasy or large meal. If you suffer from heartburn less than once a week, you probably will be okay treating it with just an antacid. Antacids neutralize the acid in the stomach, and provide a very fast acting, albeit temporary relief from heartburn. Though antacids containing calcium carbonate, which is essentially chalk, have been popular for years, lately there are some newer ones that use aluminum hydroxide. Personally, I think aluminum hydroxide is a much more effective heartburn treatment, and doesn't leave you feeling like you just licked the chalk off a black board.

acid reducer, such as 'Zantac' or 'Pepcid AC'.

 A longer lasting heartburn treatment can be found by using an acid reducer, such as 'Zantac' or 'Pepcid AC'. If you know you are prone to occasional 'heartburn' and you know you are going to be eating a lot of greasy foods, popping one of these pills before hand will keep you heartburn free for several hours.

If you have 'heartburn' more often, as in once a week or more, you should probably see a doctor about it. The acids from your stomach can eventually do some serious damage to your esophagus, which will increase your chances of getting esophageal cancer.

effective in treating chronic heartburn. 

Fortunately, treating even the most severe and chronic cases of heartburn is not difficult. There are a number prescriptions available today that are very effective in treating chronic heartburn. In the most extreme cases, a low-risk medical procedure may need to be performed. This is to help to close your 'defective',esophageal sphincter.