Gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are very common. Typical symptoms are a bitter or acid taste in the back of the mouth and burning pain in the throat, chest, or stomach. Nausea can also sometimes be due to gastritis. The abdominal pain comes from acid irritating the stomach. And when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus (thus the term "gastroesophageal" in the name GERD), this is what causes the discomfort in the chest, throat, and mouth.

If left untreated for years and years, acid reflux can eventually cause esophageal cancer. Some manufacturers of antacids use this cancer risk to try to scare more people into buying more of their products.

Fortunately, esophageal cancer is quite rare, and you can keep your risk low by taking steps to reduce acid reflux and by letting your doctor know about any symptoms you do have. Some people with severe reflux need periodic endoscopy (looking at the esophagus through a special device that's inserted through the mouth) to check for precancerous changes, but most of the time it's unnecessary.

Here are some lifestyle tips to prevent or reduce heartburn and gastritis.

• Don't overeat. When your stomach is very full, it becomes easier for some of its contents to come back up into the esophagus.
  
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Hunger is a strong trigger for acid production, so just avoiding that famished feeling can reduce the amount of acid in your stomach.
  
• Control your weight. Extra fat around the belly puts additional pressure on the stomach, increasing the chance of reflux. This means that, if you do decide to eat more frequent meals, you must make sure they are small ones, so you don't increase your total calorie intake and gain weight!
  
• Keep gravity on your side. Avoid lying down for 60-90 minutes after any meal. Think of your stomach as the bottom part of a bottle that's half full of acid. The neck of the bottle is your esophagus. If you tip the bottle onto its side (i.e., if you lie down with food in your stomach), the contents will quickly flow up into the neck. Ouch.
  
• Prop up your head. Some people get reflux whenever they lie down flat, even when their stomach isn't full. If this describes you, prop your head and shoulders up with a few blankets or pillows to keep your belly lower than your chest. If you find yourself sliding off the pillows, put bricks or blocks under both the legs at the head of your bed.
  
• Keep those evening snacks tiny. It's OK to eat a small snack before bed if that's what it takes to control the production of hunger-induced acid. But watch that you don't eat too much, which can cause reflux immediately and weight gain in the long term.
  
• Avoid stomach irritants. Alcohol and aspirin are some of the most common causes of gastritis, along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®) and naproxen (Aleve®). Many prescription painkillers, as well as a host of additional medications, can also cause stomach upset or irritation. Smoking increases the risk of gastritis, too.
  
• Learn your own tolerances. We used to advise everyone with gastritis to avoid spicy foods like chili peppers and acidic foods like citrus fruits or sodas. It turns out, however, that most people don't have much of a problem with these. Caffeine is a causes of upset stomach for many people. In general, avoid the foods that specifically worsen your pain, at least while recovering from an episode of gastritis or GERD.
  
• Eat broccoli frequently. I'm not a believer in the idea of any one perfect food, but if I had to pick something close, broccoli would be at or near the top of my list. Among its many benefits, it helps protect against H. pylori, the bacterial infection responsible for most ulcers and some gastritis.