Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) | Heartburn and acid reflux

Symptoms

The main symptoms of acid reflux are:

• heartburn – a burning sensation in the middle of your chest
• an unpleasant sour taste in your mouth, caused by stomach acid

You may also have:

• a cough or hiccups that keep coming back
• a hoarse voice
• bad breath
• bloating and feeling sick

Symptoms are often worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over.

Causes

Lots of people get heartburn from time to time. There's often no obvious reason why.

Sometimes it's caused or made worse by:

• certain food and drink – such as coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate and fatty or spicy foods
• being overweight
• smoking
• pregnancy - find out more about indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy
• stress and anxiety
• an increase in some types of hormones, such as progesterone and oestrogen
• some medicines, such as anti-inflammatory painkillers (like ibuprofen)
• a hiatus hernia – when part of your stomach moves up into your chest
• a stomach ulcer

• a bacterial infection in your stomach
  

Diagnosis

If medicines do not help or your symptoms are severe, a GP may refer you to a specialist for:

• tests to find out what's causing your symptoms, such as a gastroscopy (where a thin tube with a camera inside it is passed down your throat and into your stomach)
• tests to check for bacteria that can cause heartburn – this can be treated with a combination of antibiotics and PPIs

• surgery on your stomach or food pipe (oesophagus) to stop acid reflux
  

Treatment Options

If you have acid reflux, a GP may prescribe a medicine called a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that reduces how much acid your stomach makes.

PPIs include:

• omeprazole
• lansoprazole

You'll usually need to take this type of medicine for 4 or 8 weeks, depending on how serious your acid reflux is.

If a PPI does not help, your doctor may suggest trying a different type of medicine called an H2 receptor antagonist, such as famotidine.

Prevention Tips

Simple lifestyle changes can help stop or reduce heartburn.

Do:

• eat smaller, more frequent meals
• try to lose weight if you're overweight
• try to find ways to relax

Don’t

• do not have food or drink that triggers your symptoms
• do not eat within 3 or 4 hours before bed
• do not wear clothes that are tight around your waist
• do not smoke
• do not drink too much alcohol
• do not stop taking any prescribed medicine without speaking to a doctor first

When To See A Doctor

See a GP if:

• lifestyle changes and pharmacy medicines are not helping your heartburn
• you have heartburn most days
• you also have other symptoms, like food getting stuck in your throat, frequently being sick, or losing weight for no reason

A GP can provide alternative or stronger treatments and help rule out any more serious causes of your symptoms.