So, you just figured out that at you have acid reflux. Treatment is the first thing you're probably thinking about right now. Let's keep it simple. You've really just got three options.

1. Stop whatever you're doing that's causing your acid reflux.
2. Take medicine to treat the acid reflux.
3. Have surgery.

I realize that's pretty basic, so let's talk about each of these options in a little bit more detail. They're already listed in order of increasing seriousness, so we'll start at the top.

Let's start with the first one - stop whatever you're doing is causing your acid reflux. I know this sounds like a joke, but it's really pretty straightforward. People get acid reflux or GERD as result of obesity, smoking and pregnancy. So if you're overweight or you smoke, and you have acid reflux, you may want to think about losing weight or stopping smoking. And the pregnancy ought to take care of itself in about nine months.

Sometimes your diet can cause acid reflux symptoms. Citrus fruits, caffeine drinks, alcohol and fried foods are all common causes of acid reflux. Try keeping a food diary to see if there are certain things that cause your acid reflux to flare up.

What about the next one - take medicine to treat the acid reflux. Chances are, if you have acid reflux you're already munching on antacids. If those are working for you, then you may need to talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for something a little stronger. The prescription acid reflux medications usually work by reducing acid production or by causing your stomach to empty faster.

And the final option - have surgery. This is usually the least desirable of all the acid reflux treatments. If changing your lifestyle doesn't help and the medicine doesn't work any longer, then your doctor may want to talk to you about surgery to treat your acid reflux symptoms. The standard surgical treatment for GERD or acid reflux is the Nissen fundoplication procedure. During this procedure, the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) to strengthen the sphincter and prevent acid reflux. Acid reflux surgery has become a common procedure and now has high success rates.

Chronic GERD or acid reflux that is untreated can cause serious complications. Stomach acid can cause damage to the lining of your stopping us and cause bleeding or ulcers and swallowing can become difficult. There are plenty of acid reflux treatments available today, so don't wait for your symptoms to become serious before finding the right one for you.