What should you know about GERD after COVID?

GERD, also called acid reflux, occurs when stomach contents move upwards into the oesophagus. Burning behind the breastbone, a sour taste, throat irritation, cough or difficulty sleeping when lying down can fit this pattern. During recovery, changes in meals, activity, sleep, medicines or body weight may make symptoms more noticeable. COVID can also cause cough and chest symptoms directly, so timing alone cannot prove that reflux is the cause. A hiatus hernia and other conditions may contribute and need separate assessment.

Keep meals smaller if large meals trigger symptoms, avoid lying down soon after eating, and record foods, medicines and activities linked with flare-ups. Raising the head of the bed can help night-time reflux; extra pillows alone may bend the body and increase pressure on the stomach. Avoid stopping prescribed medicines without advice, particularly medicines used during or after COVID. A clinician can recommend an appropriate acid-reducing treatment and review ongoing cough, abdominal pain or sleep disruption.

Seek urgent help for severe or sudden chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, vomiting blood, black stools or an inability to swallow. Arrange a clinical review if symptoms persist, food sticks, you lose weight without trying, or a cough continues after the infection has settled. Chest tightness should not automatically be attributed to reflux, especially when it occurs with breathlessness, sweating or exertion.

Ask whether your symptoms fit reflux or another cause, whether any current medicines could aggravate them, and how long a treatment trial should last. Discuss warning symptoms, night-time measures and whether persistent cough or swallowing difficulty requires further testing.