Treatments for heartburn and bipolar disorder

Editor's Note: Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers medical questions submitted by e-mail at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturdays on "Your Health." The questions and answers are available on CNN.com after the show.

Q: What is the best treatment for heartburn? -- Rose Kassardjian in Whittier, California

A: Well, Rose, according to WebMD, 20 percent of adult Americans have heartburn at least once a month. There are many different approaches to treating the feeling of burning, heat or pain in the upper abdomen and throat.

For mild heartburn, simple lifestyle changes such as eating smaller meals, limiting spicy or acidic food intake, decreasing pressure on your stomach, losing weight and decreasing stress may help relieve heartburn.

For more serious heartburn cases, try nonprescription antacids and acid reducers. Liquid or dissolving antacids usually work faster than tablet forms. Antacids do work faster than acid reducers, but their effect does not last more than one to two hours.

If your symptoms occur frequently and persist for more than three weeks, be sure to talk to your health professional about prescription medications.

Q: What is bipolar disorder and how is it treated? -- Marie Tanner in Coleman, Texas

A: Marie, bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive disorder. It causes a person to have extreme mood changes that alternate between depression and mania.

The depressive or manic episodes can appear suddenly without an obvious trigger. While there is no cure for bipolar disorder, it can be effectively treated through a combination of medication and counseling.

Doctors can prescribe medications such as mood stabilizers and antidepressants. According to WebMD, approximately 4 million Americans will suffer from bipolar disorder in their lifetimes.

If bipolar disorder is left untreated, it can lead to serious illness and even death due to suicide or risky behavior.