From identifying acid reflux causes to the foods to avoid, we help you create a happy, healthy diet to help reduce 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 may be wondering, ‘are GERD and heartburn the same thing?’ To an extent, yes. GERD is the name of a condition that people get when they experience heartburn and acid reflux but on a recurrent basis.
When researching GERD, you may notice a lot of resources also reference GORD. To clear confusion, both GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) and GORD (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) are the same thing. The difference is simply due to a difference in spelling. However, they both reference the same condition.
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 (we tell you how to get rid of bad breath in our helpful guide)
• 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. The feeling is similar to that of when a piece of food gets lodged in your throat
• Bloating
• An increased need to belch more frequently
• A sore throat
• Tooth decay, which can lead to gum disease
• A persistent cough or wheezing that worsens during the night
Those who have asthma may also find that their symptoms worsen with GERD. This is because stomach acid can irritate the airways.
If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms listed above and are concerned you may have GERD, consult your GP.
Difference between GERD, heartburn & indigestion
So, is GERD the same as heartburn? How does it differ from indigestion? It can be challenging to differentiate GERD from other common conditions. Below, you can briefly find out the differences between each condition:
Heartburn – An uncomfortable, burning sensation located behind the breastbone
Indigestion – A common condition (also known as dyspepsia) which refers to a group of symptoms, such as 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
If you’d like to know more, you can read our heartburn and indigestion Health Hub, which goes into more detail about the above conditions.
What causes heartburn & acid reflux?
Heartburn and acid reflux is something that many people commonly experience from time to time. Although there isn’t always a root cause as to why they occur, it’s thought there are several triggers that may contribute to the causes. These include:
• Certain food and drink – such as coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate and fatty or spicy foods
• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Stress and anxiety
• 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 worsen heartburn)
If you’re looking for some short-term relief from heartburn or acid reflux, visit your local Boots pharmacy. Our pharmacy teams will be on hand to provide advice and recommend suitable products available online and instore that can help make your symptoms more manageable. Recommended medication can be brought over the counter or via our website. These include: antacids (neutralise acid in the stomach), alginates (prevents stomach acid from travelling up the oesophagus) and protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) (reduce the amount of acid the stomach produces).
If you’re prescribed medicine, always read the patient information leaflet. It will provide you with the instructions you need to take the medicine correctly.
Although GERD can be treated using over-the-counter medicines, there are also other lifestyle factors that can help provide relief from symptoms – particularly changes to your diet. Want to know what a healthier diet consists of? We’ll tell you everything you need to know…
What foods should I avoid with a GERD diet?
Technically, there’s no proven ‘GERD diet’. There’s still a lot of research that needs to be done to determine which foods are a definite trigger of reflux. That being said, there are a list of foods that have been identified by others as a trigger that you may wish to avoid, 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)
Please note, not all of the above foods may apply to you. Everyone’s food triggers are unique to them. 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.
What foods should I incorporate into a GERD diet?
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is key to maintaining good health and can also prove beneficial in treating GERD symptoms. To get started, assess your diet and make sure it includes a variety of foods. If you need some help, The Eatwell Guide breaks down each food group, explaining how much food you should be aiming to eat overall from each.
There are some foods that are thought to be beneficial in helping reduce acid reflux. These include:
Fibre: Typically, people with GERD have a low intake of fibre. Although it’s hard to distinguish whether an increase in fibre can improve symptoms of GERD, it’s thought that a fibre-rich diet can reduce acid reflux. In our guide, you can learn more about how to get more fibre into your diet.
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 (read our guide for some top tips!). Exchanging large meals for smaller, more frequent meals minimises 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, speak to your GP before you start making drastic changes to your diet.
How to identify foods that trigger 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.
This is the information you’ll need to write down to help you successfully identify your food triggers:
• What I ate and drank
• Time
• How I felt (also note if you’ve not 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, eliminate it from your diet and slowly start to reintroduce it back to assess whether your symptoms flare-up again – a process called an elimination diet. Doing this will give you confirmation that you’ve successfully identified a trigger.
When to see your GP
Although many people can manage symptoms of GERD with over-the-counter medicines, there are some instances where you would need to see your GP.
Consult 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 have made lifestyle changes or are taking pharmacy medicines to help your heartburn and it’s not working
Rest assured that with the right lifestyle adjustments and medical care, you can manage your gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms effectively and manage acid reflux causes – for more information, visit our Health Hub.
