Burning questions about acid reflux & foods to avoid? We’ve put together a guide to help you manage your gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
What is gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD or GERD)?
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (commonly known as GERD or GORD) is a common condition that results from chronic acid reflux and heartburn. You might be wondering if GERD and heartburn are the same thing. In short, GERD is the name of a condition that people get when they have recurring episodes of heartburn and acid reflux.
You might come across both GERD and GORD if you’re researching GERD. Essentially, they refer to the same condition, with GERD being the American spelling (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and GORD, the British spelling (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease).
What are the symptoms of GERD?
The two main symptoms associated with GERD are heartburn (an uncomfortable burning sensation in the chest) and acid reflux (when acid and other stomach contents are brought back into the throat or mouth). Later in this article, we’ll be discussing acid reflux causes in more detail.
Some people with GERD may also experience some of the following symptoms:
- Bad breath
- A sore, inflamed oesophagus – known as oesophagitis (this is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach)
- Feeling sick or actually being sick
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing. It might feel like when a piece of food gets lodged in your throat
- Bloating
- An increased need to burp more frequently
- A sore throat
- Tooth decay, which can lead to gum disease
- A persistent cough or wheezing that gets worse at night
People who have asthma may also find that their symptoms get worse with GERD. This is because stomach acid can irritate the airways.
If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms and are worried you may have GERD, make sure to speak to your GP.
What’s the difference between GERD, heartburn & indigestion?
So, is GERD the same as heartburn? How is it different from indigestion? Knowing the difference can be confusing, so we’ve put together a brief overview:
- Heartburn – An uncomfortable, burning sensation located behind the breastbone
- Indigestion – A common condition (also known as dyspepsia) which is about a group of symptoms, like upper belly pain and bloating. The oesophagus (gullet), stomach and first part of the small intestine (duodenum) are all affected by dyspepsia
- GERD – A condition where heartburn and acid reflux keeps happening
Why the burn? Common triggers of heartburn & acid reflux
Heartburn and acid reflux are common and can be triggered by various factors including:
- Certain food and drink – like coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate and fatty or spicy foods
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- Pregnancy
- Everyday stress and anxious feelings
- Some medicines, including anti-inflammatory pain relief like ibuprofen
- Hiatus hernia – when part of your stomach moves up into your chest
- An increase in some types of hormones (for example, a rise in progesterone and oestrogen can make heartburn worse)
For short-term relief and help to manage your symptoms, you can visit a pharmacy for advice and over-the-counter medications. These include:
- Antacids – medicines that can help to neutralise acid in the stomach
- Alginates – medicines that can help to prevent stomach acid from travelling up the oesophagus
- Protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) – medicines that can help to reduce the amount of acid that the stomach produces
Always make sure to read the patient information leaflet that comes with any medication before taking it. It’ll provide you with the instructions you need to take the medicine correctly. If you’re unsure whether a medication is suitable for you, ask a member of the pharmacy team for advice.
Although GERD can be managed using over-the-counter medicines, there are also other lifestyle factors that can help provide relief from symptoms – particularly changes to your diet.
What foods should I avoid with a GERD-friendly diet?
Technically, there’s no proven ‘GERD diet’ as we don’t know the definite trigger of reflux and it can vary from person to person. That being said, there are a list of foods that have been identified by others as a trigger that you may want to try avoiding, including:
- Spicy foods
- Fructans, such as garlic and onions
- Citrus fruit and juices
- Tomato-based products
- Chocolate and coffee (both caffeinated and decaffeinated)
- Fatty foods, such as fried food or full-fat dairy
- Fizzy drinks
- Alcoholic drinks (including beer and wine)
Everyone’s food triggers are unique to them, so not all of the foods in the list above might apply to you.
If you have GERD, it doesn’t mean the foods listed above are necessarily a problem, but it can help to be aware of them.
Eat smart: how to eat for relief
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is key to helping to maintain good health and can also be helpful in managing GERD symptoms. To get started, take a look at your diet and make sure it includes a variety of foods.
There are some foods that are thought to be beneficial in helping reduce acid reflux. For example, some people might find that chewing gum can help with relieving their symptoms, but some people might find that chewing gum can make their symptoms worse.
Fibre
It’s thought that a fibre-rich diet can help to reduce symptoms of acid reflux.
Ginger
There is some research that suggests food and drinks containing ginger can be helpful. Ginger can speed up stomach emptying, which can lower the risk of reflux. It isn’t clear whether this helps in practice so more research needs to be done.
As well as being mindful about the foods you eat, managing portion control can also help with your symptoms.
Swapping large meals for smaller, more frequent meals can help to minimise the amount of food entering your stomach in one go. This can help you feel more comfortable – eating slowly and chewing your food well can also be great for this.
One final tip is to avoid eating very hot or very cold foods. This can encourage you to swallow extra air when eating which could worsen your symptoms. Chewing gum also encourages air swallowing too.
If you’re pregnant or have an underlying health issue, make sure to speak to your GP before you make drastic changes to your diet or take any medication to relive your symptoms.
Can exercise help my GERD symptoms?
Exercise can sometimes help your acid reflux symptoms, but this depends on the type of exercise that you’re doing and your habits before and after working out.
Maintaining a healthy body weight can be an effective way to help manage your acid reflux symptoms. Excess body weight can put pressure on your stomach and oesophagus, which can make symptoms worse. Exercising can help you to lose weight which can help.
In some cases, exercise can make acid reflux symptoms worse – especially high impact exercise like running. Eating before a workout can also trigger acid reflux symptoms.
If you know you’re going to be exercising, try to avoid eating foods that trigger your symptoms for two or three hours before your workout.
Trigger tracker: identifying foods that trigger your GERD symptoms
If you have GERD, you may notice that some foods trigger symptoms to flare-up. The best way to identify food triggers is by keeping a food diary. You can do this using a notebook or you can make notes on your phone when out and about if that’s easier for you.
Alternatively, there are also plenty of apps out there that will allow you to keep track of your triggers.
For your food diary, make a note of:
- What you ate and drank
- Time
- How I felt (also make a note even if you haven’t had any food when your symptoms flare up)
Once you’ve tracked your symptoms for a week or two, look back at your results and try to identify any patterns or potential food triggers.
If you do suspect a food trigger, remove it from your diet and slowly start to reintroduce it back to see whether your symptoms flare up again. This is called an elimination diet. Doing this can give you confirmation that you’ve successfully identified a trigger.
If you are considering avoiding lots of different foods, speak to your GP for advice - they may refer you to a dietitian or specialist for advice, and may also suggest other treatments to try.
For some people, foods aren’t the only triggers of their GERD. Wearing tight clothing with elastic waistbands or restrictive shapewear can put pressure on your tummy and midsection which can encourage stomach acid to be pushed up. If you find that what you wear might be a trigger, make sure to avoid wearing clothes that are tight around your waist.
Make sure to speak to your GP or call NHS 111 if:
- You have persistent heartburn for three weeks or more
- You notice signs of other symptoms, such as losing weight unexpectedly or food getting stuck in your throat
- You’ve made lifestyle changes or are taking over-the-counter medicines to help your heartburn and it’s not working
- You’re worried about your symptoms
Rest assured that with the right lifestyle adjustments and care, you can beat the burn and manage your gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms and acid reflux triggers effectively.
