What you need to know

• Heartburn is caused by acid reflux, which is when acid from the stomach flows back into the esophagus. Frequent bouts of acid reflux could indicate GERD.
• If you experience heartburn more than twice a week, this is a common sign of GERD, which is caused by a weakened lower esophageal sphincter.
• GERD can cause damage to the esophagus over time and surgery may be required to help reinforce the lower esophageal sphincter, preventing the backflow of stomach acid and allowing the esophagus to heal.
• Through lifestyle changes and medication, GERD is often manageable and may even be reversed. Patients will often need to consider losing weight and avoiding common heartburn triggers such as caffeine or alcohol.

What is heartburn and is it normal?

Heartburn is a common condition triggered by acid reflux, causing a burning sensation in the chest, often after eating. It’s usually not cause for concern and may be linked to certain lifestyle choices. Acid in your stomach can flow back into the esophagus, leading to pain in the chest, a sour taste, coughing, or problems swallowing.

In cases where this becomes more frequent or severe, it may be diagnosed as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD. Left untreated, GERD can lead to secondary complications including damage to the esophagus, bad breath and enamel erosion.

Heartburn is often caused by eating too quickly, eating too much, lying down after eating, or eating spicy/fatty foods. It can also occur during pregnancy, as a result of obesity or smoking, and it can be triggered by certain foods, like caffeine or alcohol.

When could heartburn be GERD?

When heartburn occurs more frequently, your primary care physician may want to seek a potential GERD diagnosis. Regular acid reflux could be GERD in the following instances:

• If you experience symptoms more than twice a week
• If the symptoms wake you up at night or prevent you from sleeping
• If over the counter medications and lifestyle changes do not help
• If you have other symptoms, including a chronic cough, wheezing, hoarseness, bad breath and problems swallowing

Therefore the main difference between a simple bout of acid reflux and GERD is the severity and frequency of the attacks.

Key differences between heartburn and GERD

Simple cases of acid reflux are often determined by your food choices, how quickly you eat, or your activity levels around meals. With GERD, the condition is often caused by a weak or malfunctioning lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

Surgery may be required to repair the LES.

To determine if you have simple acid reflux or GERD, you should try the following steps:

• Keep a symptom diary to make a note of how often you experience heartburn. If it is more than twice per week, this could be GERD.
• If you take over the counter medications like antacids and find no relief from your symptoms, it could indicate that you are suffering from GERD.
• Keep a food diary alongside a symptom diary so you can identify potential triggers.
• Try losing weight. Carrying excess weight puts pressure on your stomach and can force the stomach contents upwards, leading to GERD.

Frequently asked questions