Although summer holidays bring thoughts of sun and fun, for many people they also bring the dread of miserable heartburn symptoms and discomfort. If you're one of those unfortunate souls then review these 5 ways to avoid heartburn this summer, and anytime:

• Avoid trigger foods. Heartburn triggering foods differ for everybody, but generally speaking some of the worst ones are ice cream, mac & cheese, French fries, raw onions, cranberry juice, wine, and chocolate. Also download a free brochure from the National Heartburn Alliance for more information.
• Avoid eating too much in one sitting. Eating smaller amounts more frequently will help keep the stomach from becoming too full, which can increase the risk for heartburn.
• Avoid eating before going to bed or lying down, or if you must then raise the head of the bed a few inches with books or cinder blocks.
• Lose weight. Having excess fat around and in the midsection puts extra pressure on the stomach, increasing the risk for and severity of heartburn symptoms.
• Adopting all-around healthy lifestyle habits, such as quitting smoking and reducing stress can help reduce heartburn by association.