Acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a relatively common problem, affecting up to seven million Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

But you don't need to suffer from this uncomfortable backing up of stomach acid that manifests as heartburn, regurgitation of stomach liquid and nausea. And you don't need to resign yourself to taking a pill every day for the rest of your life to keep symptoms down.

I know what I'm talking about because my father had a major reflux problem caused by a surgery in which a bile duct was connected to his stomach instead of his intestine. For almost a year, he suffered for GERD that was so severe he threw up several times a day.

But eventually he discovered, quite by chance, that a simple supermarket apple made him feel better. He eventually determined how much apple and what kind of apple was the best to be consumed each day to keep all of his symptoms in check for good.

There are many other things that people with acid reflux can do to eliminate their symptoms. One of the most important things is to try to stop causing irritation and scratching of your esophagus, which will just make your acid problems worse.

Eating smaller meals is often helpful for people who have acid reflux. Some people recommend not drinking during a meal, since the liquid dilutes the acid and makes it easier for the acid to reflux. On the other hand, it's a good idea to drink a glass of water after eating, because it helps cleanse the lower esophageal sphincter, which then closes up tighter, which means less acid will be able to get to your esophagus.

Cutting back coffee, alcohol and carbonated beverages, especially at meal times, are also good natural aids to eliminating acid reflux. It's a good idea to cut back your coffee intake to just one cup a day, because coffee is acidic. If you do continue to drink coffee, drink a glass of water right after to clear away the acid.

One of the most important things you can do if you have GERD and you smoke is to quit smoking. Of course there are all sorts of wonderful reasons to quit smoking, but one that has to do with acid reflux is that smoking actually irritates your throat. What's more, the chemicals in cigarettes cause your lower esophageal sphincter to relax, which allows even more fluid and other unpleasantness into your esophagus. Some people find that even quitting for just a couple of days is a big help for eliminating some of their irritation.

No one remedy works for everyone, but these ideas (plus tons of others in the Reflux Remedy Report) should get you back to feeling like your old self in no time.