Heartburn is a burning feeling in the chest caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat (acid reflux). If it keeps happening, it may be called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
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.
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
Simple lifestyle changes can help stop or reduce heartburn.
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.
If at any time you feel your symptoms are getting worse, contact a GP, go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
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:
You'll usually need to take this type of medicine for 4 or 8 weeks, depending on how serious your acid reflux is.
Go back to the GP if your symptoms return after stopping your medicine. You may need a long-term prescription.