Heartburn

What is heartburn?

Heartburn is a burning feeling in your chest. It happens when stomach acid travels up towards your throat. This is called acid reflux.

If this keeps happening regularly, doctors call it GORD (a long-term condition where stomach acid keeps coming back up).

What does heartburn feel like?

The main signs are:

• A burning feeling in the middle of your chest
• A sour, unpleasant taste in your mouth

You might also notice:

• A cough or hiccups that won't go away
• Your voice sounds hoarse
• Bad breath
• Feeling bloated or sick

These feelings are often worse after eating, when you lie down, or when you bend over.

What causes heartburn?

Many people get heartburn sometimes. Often there's no clear reason why.

It can be caused or made worse by:

• Certain foods and drinks like coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate, and fatty or spicy foods
• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Being pregnant
• Feeling stressed or anxious
• Changes in hormones
• Some medicines like ibuprofen
• A hiatus hernia (when part of your stomach moves up into your chest)
• A stomach ulcer
• A bacterial infection in your stomach

How can you help yourself?

Simple changes to your daily life can help:

Do:

• Eat smaller meals more often
• Try to lose weight if you're overweight
• Find ways to relax

Don't:

• Eat or drink things that trigger your symptoms
• Eat within 3 to 4 hours before bed
• Wear tight clothes around your waist
• Smoke
• Drink too much alcohol
• Stop taking prescribed medicines without speaking to your GP first

Try this: Raise the head of your bed by 10 to 20cm using wood, bricks or books. This helps stop stomach acid travelling up towards your throat. Don't use extra pillows as this can make symptoms worse.

When to see a pharmacist

Speak to a pharmacist if you keep getting heartburn. They can recommend medicines called antacids or alginates. These help ease your symptoms quickly.

Take these with food or soon after eating - this is when heartburn is most likely to happen. They work better and for longer when taken with food.

These medicines help symptoms short-term but won't cure the problem. Don't take them regularly for long periods.

When to see your GP

See your GP if:

• Lifestyle changes and pharmacy medicines aren't helping
• You have heartburn most days
• You have other worrying symptoms

Red flag symptoms - see your GP urgently if you have:

• Food getting stuck in your throat
• Being sick frequently
• Losing weight for no reason

Treatment from your GP

Your GP might prescribe stronger medicines called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These reduce how much acid your stomach makes. You'll usually take these for 4 to 8 weeks.

If PPIs don't help, your GP might try a different type of medicine.

For severe cases, your GP might refer you to a specialist for tests or even surgery.

Remember: If your symptoms get worse at any time, contact your GP, visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.