What should you know about meals for acid reflux?

Acid reflux happens when stomach contents move back towards the oesophagus, causing burning, sour fluid, throat irritation or an unpleasant taste. Large meals can stretch the stomach, while lying down soon after eating makes upward flow easier. Common triggers include fatty or fried foods, chilli, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, mint, tomato and citrus, but triggers vary and not everyone needs to avoid all of them. Reflux may also occur with a hiatus hernia or alongside cough, chronic cough, chest tightness, abdominal pain or difficulty sleeping.

Choose modest portions and eat slowly. Build meals around vegetables, oats, rice, potatoes, whole grains, beans, lean proteins and lower-fat cooking methods if these suit you. Keep a diary of foods, timing and symptoms so you can test one change at a time. Leave a comfortable interval between eating and lying down; raise the head of the bed if night symptoms continue, rather than relying only on extra pillows. Avoid tight clothing around the abdomen and ask a pharmacist or clinician about suitable medicines if symptoms recur.

Arrange medical review for frequent symptoms, reflux that keeps disturbing sleep, difficulty swallowing, food sticking, repeated vomiting, unexplained weight loss or persistent cough. Seek emergency care for severe or unfamiliar chest pain, especially with sweating, breathlessness, faintness or pain spreading to the arm or jaw; reflux should not be assumed to explain these symptoms.

Which symptoms suggest reflux rather than another cause? Should I be checked for a hiatus hernia? Which foods or medicines might be affecting me, and how long should I try lifestyle changes before review?