Just Diagnosed With GERD? Here's What to Know

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach, and reflux means stomach contents travelling back up it. The NIDDK describes gastroesophageal reflux (GER) as stomach contents coming back up into the esophagus, something many people have once in a while and often without symptoms.

GERD is the longer-lasting version. The NIDDK describes it as a more severe and long-lasting condition in which reflux causes repeated bothersome symptoms or leads to complications over time. MedlinePlus notes that reflux happening two or more times a week, or causing damage to the lining of the esophagus, may be GERD rather than occasional reflux. The NIDDK says researchers estimate about 20 percent of people in the United States have GERD.

The part that is not working as it should is usually the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that normally stays shut between swallows. The NIDDK says GERD may develop when that muscle becomes weak or relaxes when it shouldn't, letting acid and food move upward.

The usual symptoms, per the NIDDK, are heartburn, a painful burning feeling in the middle of the chest, and regurgitation, meaning stomach contents coming up into the throat or mouth. Not everyone has those. Some adults instead have chest pain, nausea, pain or trouble swallowing, or signs of complications such as a long-running cough or hoarseness.

How GERD goes varies by person. It can settle with changes you and your doctor make, and it can also persist or come back; the NIDDK says doctors may recommend lifestyle changes, medicines, surgery, or a combination.

These are listed without ranking, because the sources do not rank them. Having one does not mean it caused your GERD.

• Extra body weight — often changeable. The NIDDK lists being overweight or having obesity among factors that may affect the lower esophageal sphincter, and a StatPearls review lists excessive body mass index (BMI) as a risk factor.
• Smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke — often changeable. Named by both the NIDDK and the StatPearls review.
• Pregnancy — temporary, not a choice. The NIDDK lists it among factors that can affect the sphincter.
• Older age — not changeable. Listed as a risk factor in the StatPearls review.
• A hiatal hernia — not changeable on your own. This is when the opening in the diaphragm, the breathing muscle under your lungs, lets the upper part of the stomach move into the chest; the NIDDK says it can increase the chance of GERD or worsen symptoms.
• Certain medicines — sometimes adjustable, but only with your doctor. The NIDDK names benzodiazepines, calcium channel blockers, certain asthma medicines, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, sold as Advil), and tricyclic antidepressants as able to cause GERD or worsen symptoms.
• Certain foods and drinks — often changeable. The NIDDK commonly links acidic foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, alcoholic drinks, chocolate, coffee and other caffeine, high-fat foods, mint, and spicy foods to symptoms.
• Anxiety or depression, and less physical activity at work — partly changeable. Both appear as risk factors in the StatPearls review.

1. Keep a two-week symptom log. Write down what you feel, how many days a week it happens, and whether it follows meals or lying down — the NIDDK says doctors diagnose reflux by reviewing symptoms and medical history.
2. List every medicine and supplement you take. Include prescription and over-the-counter products and bring the list, since several drug classes can worsen reflux.
3. Note what you eat and drink around flare-ups. You are looking for patterns, not proof, and the NIDDK's common triggers are a reasonable starting checklist.
4. Note your meal timing. The NIDDK says eating meals at least 3 hours before lying down or going to bed may improve symptoms, so record how long before bed you usually eat.
5. Gather past records. Pull together any earlier endoscopy or imaging reports and a note of what you have already tried and whether it helped.
6. Write your questions down before you go. Two worth including:

About testing

"My symptoms happen about four times a week. Do I need tests now, or do you want to see how I respond to treatment first?"

About my other medicines

"Could any of the medicines I already take be making this worse, and is there an alternative you'd consider?"

1. Learn the symptoms that mean call now. The NIDDK says to see a doctor for chest pain, loss of appetite, persistent vomiting, problems swallowing, unexplained weight loss, or signs of bleeding in the digestive tract — vomit with blood or that looks like coffee grounds, or black, tarry stool. Sudden or severe chest pain is an emergency room matter, because it can come from the heart.