Tip of the day: Soothe holiday heartburn

If your heartburn occurs occasionally and unexpectedly, as is apt to happen to many of us once or twice this holiday season, your best bet is a simple antacid such as generic or store-brand versions of Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, or Tums. They come in various dosage forms—liquid suspensions, tablets that you chew or swallow, effervescent solutions, and chewing gum—from which you can choose. They all work in a few minutes by neutralizing the acidity in the esophagus. Their effect lasts up to a few hours, plenty long enough for reflux symptoms to have ceased.

Read the six dos and dont's of hearburn relief, see our Treatment Ratings (subscribers only) to find out how to relieve more severe heartburn, and take a look at our free Best Buy Drugs report on lower-cost heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) drugs.