Heartburn lasting for a week now

Dear Ask The Doctor: I am 20 year old female and have never had heartburn before. I got heart burn for the first time on Tuesday and it hasn't gone away. It's been a week. I have tried tums and pepcid and neither have helped. Could this be something more serious than just heartburn?

Dear Rebecca: Heartburn occurs when the stomach acid comes in contact with the esophagus causing irritation. In my opinion it could more likely be due to gastro esophageal reflux disease or hiatal hernia. You may try to corelate your symptoms with its time of onset, the type of food that triggers your heartburn and if your symptoms change with the change in position or abdominal pressure. Also medication from the proton pump inhibitors group like Prilosec, available OTC, may be appropriate for the heartburn treatment. Diet modifications like less spicy and fatty foods, increased intake of water and exercise may be very helpful.