What to do about acid reflux

Reflux occurs when stomach contents travel back into the oesophagus. The oesophageal lining is less protected from acid, so this can cause burning behind the breastbone, a sour taste, belching or fluid rising into the throat.

Symptoms can follow a large or rich meal, bending over, or lying down soon after eating. Individual triggers vary, so an automatic ban on a long list of foods can be unnecessarily restrictive.

Try smaller meals, eat slowly and leave time between dinner and lying down. Notice whether particular foods, drinks or smoking reliably bring on symptoms. If night-time reflux is a problem, raising the head end of the bed can help; piling up soft pillows may bend the abdomen and be less useful.

Antacids or alginates can provide short-term relief for some people, while acid-reducing medicines have different instructions and cautions. Check with a pharmacist if you are pregnant, have kidney or liver problems, take regular medicines, or need treatment repeatedly.

Book a clinician visit if reflux is frequent, is worsening, wakes you despite self-care, or returns whenever treatment stops. Difficulty or pain with swallowing, repeated vomiting, unexplained weight loss, anaemia, blood in vomit, or black stools also require medical assessment.

Call emergency services for severe or unfamiliar chest tightness, breathlessness, collapse, marked sweating, or pain spreading beyond the chest. Heart and lung problems can resemble indigestion and need urgent evaluation.

Tell your clinician when symptoms occur, whether food or posture changes them, and how often you use relief medicines. Ask if any prescribed or non-prescription medicine could be aggravating reflux and whether persistent symptoms warrant testing.