HealthInfo Canterbury

Heartburn and acid reflux in adults

You get heartburn when the valve (also called the sphincter) at the top of your stomach relaxes or weakens.

When this happens, acid or occasionally some of your stomach contents can flow back into your food pipe (your oesophagus). This can irritate the lining of your oesophagus.

You may feel discomfort or even pain rising up from your chest to your neck.

Heartburn is very common and almost everyone has it sometimes. But if it keeps happening, it’s called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

Heartburn can be caused or made worse by:

• eating a large meal or night-time snacking
• eating some foods or drinks
• lying down after eating
• stress or anxiety
• being overweight
• smoking
• being pregnant
• having a hiatus hernia – this is where a part of your stomach pushes up through your diaphragm into your lower chest
• some medicines such as anti-inflammatory pain relief like ibuprofen and opiates such as morphine or codeine.

Some people have silent reflux. With silent reflux, you don't get heartburn but the acid can damage your throat and vocal cords.

Symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux

Symptoms tend to come and go and tend be worse after a meal. Common symptoms may include:

• a burning feeling that rises from your abdomen (tummy) or lower chest up towards your neck
• pain in your upper abdomen and chest
• feeling sick or nauseated
• an acid taste in your mouth
• feeling bloated
• belching
• a burning pain when you swallow hot drinks.

The symptoms of silent reflux may include:

• feeling like something is stuck in your throat
• a hoarse voice
• frequent throat clearing
• unexplained coughing
• a long-lasting (chronically) sore throat.

Treating heartburn and acid reflux

Most people can manage heartburn and reflux with eating and lifestyle changes and antacids. Over-the-counter antacids include Mylanta and Gaviscon.

Some people with heartburn may need stronger medications such as omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole or famotidine. Some might even need surgery to reduce their symptoms.

See your GP if you have heartburn and:

• you've lost weight without trying
• you have difficulty or pain swallowing food and fluid
• you're vomiting with heartburn symptoms
• your heartburn doesn't improve after making eating and lifestyle changes or taking a short course of over-the-counter antacids.

  HealthInfo recommends the following videos

• Mayo Clinic – Heartburn, Acid Reflux, GERD-Mayo Clinic

  A simple description about what heartburn and acid reflux are.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

• Patient.info
  • Acid reflux and oesophagitis

    Information about symptoms, causes and tests. Includes a diagram of the intestinal system and a video about acid reflux and oesophagitis.

  • Dyspepsia (Indigestion)

    Information about causes of indigestion, such as non-ulcer dyspepsia, stomach and duodenal ulcers, hiatus hernia and medications. It also looks at treatments.

On the next page: Self-care for heartburn

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2021.

Page reference: 52876

Review key: HIARH-24342