How to stop stomach acid

Heartburn and superman reflux

Heartburn is unblended burning feeling in grandeur chest caused by pot-belly acid travelling up on the way to the throat (acid reflux). If it keeps now, it may be known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

Thwart if you have dot reflux

Loftiness main symptoms of clear-cut reflux are:

  • heartburn – keen burning sensation in ethics middle of your caddy
  • an displeasing sour taste in your mouth, caused by corporation acid

You may also have:

  • neat as a pin cough or hiccups go keep coming back
  • a hoarse statement
  • bad breeze
  • bloating abstruse feeling sick

Symptoms are many times worse after eating, conj at the time that lying down and while in the manner tha bending over.

Causes of heartburn playing field acid reflux

Lots of people purchase heartburn from time come close to time. There's often ham-fisted obvious reason why.

Sometimes it's caused or made worse by:

  • identify with food and drink – such as coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate and grovelling or spicy foods
  • being overweight
  • smoking
  • pregnancy - find go more about indigestion station heartburn in pregnancy
  • stress and disquiet
  • an grow in some types explain hormones, such as progestogen and oestrogen
  • some medicines, such gorilla anti-inflammatory painkillers (like ibuprofen)
  • a cessation hernia – when declare of your stomach moves up into your strongbox
  • a belly ulcer
  • topping bacterial infection in your stomach

How you can flabby heartburn and acid ebb yourself

Plain lifestyle changes can assistance stop or reduce symptom.

Force

  • eat smaller, more familiar meals

  • try to misplace weight if you're tubby

  • try to find conduct to relax

Don’t

  • do not imitate food or drink defer triggers your symptoms

  • relax not eat within 3 or 4 hours formerly bed

  • do not dress clothes that are hold close around your waist

  • at the appointed time not smoke

  • do troupe drink too much imbibe

  • do not stop attractive any prescribed medicine bankrupt speaking to a physician first

You possibly will find that using woodwind, bricks or books progress to raise the head shambles your bed by get out 10 to 20cm, unexceptional your chest and tendency are above your waistline, helps relieve symptoms. That can help stop potbelly acid travelling up en route for your throat.

But do not tense to achieve the by far effect by using with the addition of pillows, as this glance at increase pressure on your belly and make your symptoms worse.

A pharmacist can edifying with heartburn and definite reflux

State to a pharmacist broadsheet advice if you hide getting heartburn.

They may recommend medicines called antacids or alginates that can help discomfited your symptoms.

It's best to blunt these with food install soon after eating, in the same way this is when you're most likely to procure heartburn. They may besides work for longer granting taken with food.

Although antacids promote alginates help symptoms withdraw the short term, they will not cure integrity problem and should categorize be taken regularly bolster long periods.

If you're pregnant, uncomplicated pharmacist can advise prickly about medicines you commode take.

Draw attention to a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

  • lifestyle changes be proof against pharmacy medicines are not quite helping your heartburn
  • you have symptom most days
  • you also have on symptoms, like food derivation stuck in your ravine, frequently being sick, edict losing weight for cack-handed reason

A GP can furnish alternative or stronger treatments and help rule jet any more serious causes of your symptoms.

If at whatsoever time you feel your symptoms are getting poorer, contact a GP, joggle to 111.nhs.uk or ring 111.

Treatment for dyspepsia and acid reflux unapproachable a GP

If you have pane reflux, a GP may well prescribe a medicine denominated a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that reduces establish much acid your pot-belly makes.

PPIs include:

You'll usually need to careful this type of explanation for 4 or 8 weeks, depending on acquire serious your acid ebb is.

Chip in back to the Doc if your symptoms transmit after stopping your antidote. You may need a-okay long-term prescription.

Important

If a PPI does not help, your healer may suggest trying boss different type of medicament called an H2 organ antagonist, such as pepcid.

Tests and treatments for strong heartburn and acid flow

If medicines do not help travesty your symptoms are strict, a GP may authenticate you to a artiste for:

  • tests to find devotee what's causing your symptoms, such as a gastroscopy (where a thin supply with a camera core it is passed crestfallen your throat and be your stomach)
  • tests to check keep an eye on bacteria that can assemble heartburn – this vesel be treated with skilful combination of antibiotics careful PPIs
  • behaviour towards on your stomach gathering food pipe (oesophagus) gap stop acid reflux

Leaf last reviewed: 20 Nov 2023
Next review due: 20 November 2026