Several things help with stomach acid, ranging from simple habit changes to over-the-counter medications that work within minutes to hours. The right approach depends on whether you’re dealing with occasional heartburn or a recurring problem. Most people get significant relief by combining a few dietary and lifestyle adjustments, with medication as backup when needed.
Stomach acid becomes a problem when it escapes upward into your esophagus. This happens when the muscular valve at the top of your stomach weakens or relaxes at the wrong time. Diet, body weight, medications, hormones, and even your nervous system can all affect how well that valve works.
Foods and Drinks That Make It Worse
Certain foods directly trigger acid reflux by either relaxing that valve or sitting in your stomach longer than usual. Fatty and fried foods are among the worst offenders because they digest slowly, giving acid more time and opportunity to push back up into the esophagus. Spicy foods, citrus, tomato sauces, and vinegar can intensify heartburn by irritating tissue that’s already inflamed.
Chocolate, caffeine, onions, peppermint, carbonated drinks, and alcohol also tend to worsen symptoms. You don’t necessarily need to eliminate all of these permanently. Tracking which ones bother you specifically, and cutting back on those, is more sustainable than a blanket restriction. Many people find that reducing portion sizes at meals also helps, since a very full stomach puts more pressure on that valve.
Timing Your Meals
When you eat matters almost as much as what you eat. Lying down with a full stomach is one of the most reliable ways to trigger reflux, because gravity is no longer helping keep acid where it belongs. Stop eating at least three hours before bed. This gives your stomach enough time to move food along before you’re horizontal.
If nighttime reflux is your main problem, elevating the head of your bed by about 20 centimeters (roughly 8 inches) reduces symptoms compared to lying flat. Use a wedge pillow or raise the head of the bed frame itself. Simply stacking regular pillows doesn’t work as well because it bends you at the waist rather than creating a consistent incline.
How Weight Affects Acid Reflux
Extra weight increases pressure on your stomach, physically pushing its contents upward. Even modest weight gain within a normal BMI range can bring on heartburn. The flip side is encouraging: losing weight meaningfully reduces symptoms. In one long-term study, women who lowered their BMI by about 3.5 points decreased their risk of frequent reflux symptoms by nearly 40%. You don’t need to reach an ideal weight to see improvement. Even partial weight loss helps.
Pregnancy causes reflux through a similar mechanism. The growing uterus presses against the stomach, and hormonal shifts further relax the esophageal valve. This type of reflux typically resolves after delivery.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Three main categories of medication target stomach acid, and they work differently.
- Antacids (like Tums or Maalox) neutralize acid that’s already in your stomach. They work the fastest, providing relief within minutes, but that relief is short-lived. These are best for occasional, predictable heartburn.
- H2 blockers (like famotidine) reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces by blocking one of the chemical signals that triggers production. They start working within one to three hours and provide about eight hours of relief. They’re a good middle ground for people who get heartburn several times a week.
- Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs (like omeprazole) directly shut down the acid-producing pumps in your stomach lining. They’re the most powerful option, reducing acid output for 15 to 21 hours a day. The tradeoff is speed: PPIs can take up to four days to reach full effect, so they’re not useful for immediate relief. They work best taken consistently for a stretch of time.
For a sudden bout of heartburn, an antacid handles it fastest. For ongoing problems, H2 blockers or PPIs provide more sustained control.
Risks of Long-Term Acid Medication
PPIs are effective, but using them for months or years comes with some concerns. Because stomach acid helps your body absorb certain nutrients, long-term suppression can interfere with calcium and vitamin B12 uptake. A large meta-analysis found that PPI users had a 30% higher risk of fractures at any site and a 22% higher risk of hip fractures compared to nonusers. That said, the absolute risk remains small, and studies haven’t consistently linked PPIs to actual bone mineral density loss. The fracture connection may involve other mechanisms beyond just weaker bones.
The general guidance is to use PPIs at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time needed. If you’ve been on one for more than a few weeks without medical guidance, it’s worth reassessing whether you still need it.
Baking Soda as a Quick Fix
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a surprisingly effective short-term antacid that many people already have at home. It works by directly neutralizing stomach acid on contact. The standard dose is half a teaspoon dissolved in a glass of water, taken after meals, and you can repeat it every two hours as needed. Don’t exceed five teaspoons in a single day, and don’t rely on it for more than two weeks. Baking soda is high in sodium, which makes it a poor choice for people managing blood pressure or on sodium-restricted diets.
Ginger for Digestive Symptoms
Ginger has a long reputation as a stomach soother, and there’s some science behind it. It appears to speed up gastric emptying, meaning food moves out of your stomach faster, which reduces the window for acid to splash upward. It also reduces nausea by acting on specific receptors in the gut. One small trial found that about 1,650 mg of ginger per day improved reflux-like symptoms, nausea, and feelings of early fullness.
The evidence is promising but not definitive. Clinical trials have shown inconsistent results for gastric emptying specifically, and researchers haven’t settled on a standardized dose. Still, ginger tea or ginger supplements are low-risk for most people and worth trying alongside other changes, particularly if nausea accompanies your acid symptoms.
Putting It Together
The most effective approach combines several small changes rather than relying on one fix. Start with the habits that cost nothing: eat smaller meals, stop eating three hours before bed, elevate your head while sleeping, and identify your personal trigger foods. If those adjustments aren’t enough, add an H2 blocker or antacid as needed. Save PPIs for persistent symptoms that don’t respond to simpler measures. Weight loss, when applicable, is one of the most powerful long-term strategies available, with measurable symptom reduction even from moderate changes.