Foods that trigger acid reflux: what should you know?

Acid reflux occurs when stomach contents move back towards the food pipe. A full stomach, pressure after a heavy meal, or lying down soon after eating can make this easier. Coffee, chocolate, mint, tomatoes, citrus, chilli, fried food, and fizzy drinks are common suspects, though a food is a trigger only if it repeatedly worsens your symptoms. Reflux may also be linked with a hiatus hernia or excess abdominal pressure.

Keep a diary of meals, timing, body position, and symptoms. Change one suspected trigger at a time so you can recognise a useful pattern. Choose smaller portions, eat slowly, and leave time between dinner and lying down. If night symptoms disturb sleep, raise the head end of the bed rather than stacking pillows under your neck. Weight changes should be discussed in a supportive, individualised way if obesity is affecting symptoms.

Seek urgent help for chest tightness with breathlessness, sweating, faintness, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw. Contact a clinician for persistent cough, recurrent abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, bleeding, or symptoms that continue despite sensible changes. Heartburn-like pain is not always reflux.

Could my cough or sleep difficulty be related to reflux? Which changes should I try first? Do I need assessment for another condition or a treatment plan?