I Am A Female, Age 55 And Have Had Heartburn

I am a female, age 55 and have had heartburn for the past 6 months or so. I burb a lot to release gas. I currently am not taking any medications; however, I was taking Zetia until recently. I have not tried any home remedies such as antacids. My 85 year old mother has esophagitis and has endoscopies every 8 weeks or so as years of acid reflux have left her with hardened scare tissue throughout her esophagus. Is this hereditary? What steps should I take to alleviate my discomfort?