Acid Reflux.Care & specialists in South Africa

Heartburn is the symptom — a burning sensation behind the breastbone, often after meals or when lying down. GERD is the chronic disease state where reflux happens often enough or strongly enough to cause troublesome symptoms or complications. Occasional heartburn does not equal GERD; weekly symptoms for more than a few weeks usually does.

Typical GERD feels like a burning, hot, or sour sensation rising from the upper abdomen behind the breastbone, often 30-60 minutes after meals or when lying down. Many patients also taste acidic or bitter fluid in the back of the throat. Atypical presentations include chronic dry cough, hoarseness, and a lump-in-throat sensation.

Most cases are diagnosed clinically by typical symptoms and a 4-8 week trial of a proton pump inhibitor. Patients with alarm features (trouble swallowing, weight loss, bleeding, anemia) or PPI failure should have an upper endoscopy. Ambulatory pH or pH-impedance monitoring and high-resolution manometry are used in refractory cases or before surgery.

PPIs are generally safe with a well-characterized side effect profile. Long-term concerns include small absolute increases in C. difficile infection, community-acquired pneumonia, fractures with prolonged high-dose use, and modest reductions in serum magnesium and vitamin B12. For most patients with valid indications the benefits outweigh these risks; use the lowest effective dose.

Yes. Reflux can cause retrosternal pain that mimics cardiac angina. New chest pain in any adult should be evaluated for cardiac causes first. Once cardiac disease is excluded, reflux is one of the most common causes of non-cardiac chest pain and responds to PPI in 60-70% of cases.

Common triggers include fatty fried foods, chocolate, peppermint, coffee, alcohol, citrus juices, tomato-based foods, carbonated drinks, and very spicy foods. Triggers vary by person — a brief food and symptom diary often identifies your specific triggers more reliably than a generic list.

Yes, substantially. Each unit of BMI increase raises GERD risk by roughly 5-10%. Observational data from large cohorts show that a 10% reduction in body weight reduces heartburn frequency by 30-40% and often allows step-down of PPI dose. Bariatric surgery in BMI ≥35 resolves GERD in 85-95% of patients.

Silent reflux, or laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), is reflux that reaches the larynx and throat without classic heartburn. Symptoms include chronic cough, hoarseness, throat clearing, lump-in-throat sensation, and post-nasal drip. Diagnosis is harder than typical GERD, and response to acid suppression is more variable.

Long-standing GERD is the principal risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma, but most people with GERD never develop cancer. The intermediate step is Barrett's esophagus, present in 5-10% of chronic GERD and progressing to cancer at roughly 0.1-0.3% per year. Surveillance endoscopy detects neoplastic changes early.

Yes. Infants frequently regurgitate (physiologic GER) without GERD. Symptoms warranting evaluation in babies include poor weight gain, feeding refusal, recurrent pneumonia, and back-arching during feeds. In older children, classic symptoms resemble adults and respond to lifestyle modification plus PPI or H2 blocker if needed.

Yes. About half of all pregnancies are complicated by heartburn, most often in the third trimester, due to progesterone-mediated lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and mechanical pressure from the uterus. It usually resolves after delivery. Antacids, sucralfate, H2 blockers, and most PPIs (except omeprazole as first choice) are considered safe.

Endoscopy is recommended for any patient with alarm features (dysphagia, odynophagia, anemia, weight loss, GI bleeding, persistent vomiting), failure of 8 weeks of PPI, or for screening Barrett's in patients with chronic GERD plus three or more risk factors (age over 50, male sex, white race, obesity, smoking, family history).

Yes. Sleeping flat increases nocturnal reflux. Elevating the head of the bed by 6-8 inches (using blocks under the bed frame, not extra pillows) reduces nocturnal acid exposure by roughly 30%. Sleeping on the left side reduces reflux compared with right-side sleeping in pH-metry studies.

Anti-reflux surgery (Nissen fundoplication, Toupet partial wrap, LINX magnetic ring, TIF) provides durable symptom control in 80-90% of carefully selected patients at 5 years, but 10-15% return to PPI by 10 years. Bariatric surgery (gastric bypass) is the most effective option in obese patients, with 85-95% symptom resolution.

Vonoprazan is a potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB) approved by the FDA in 2022 for erosive esophagitis and in 2023 for non-erosive GERD. It produces faster and more sustained acid suppression than PPIs, is taken once daily independent of meals, and shows superior healing rates in severe erosive disease.

Stress does not cause GERD directly, but it amplifies perception of reflux symptoms and can trigger behavior changes (large late meals, alcohol, poor sleep) that worsen reflux. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness reduce symptom severity in reflux hypersensitivity and functional heartburn.

Reclining loses the protective effect of gravity, the upper esophageal sphincter relaxes, and salivary clearance falls during sleep. Late or large meals before bedtime are the dominant modifiable factor. Sleeping with the head of the bed elevated and finishing dinner 3 hours before bed reduces nocturnal symptoms by 30-50%.

Evidence for probiotics in GERD is limited and inconsistent. Some small trials suggest a modest benefit on bloating and regurgitation with specific strains. Probiotics are not recommended as a primary or sole treatment, but they are generally safe to try alongside standard therapy if symptoms include bloating or distension.

Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous change in the lining of the lower esophagus, in which normal squamous epithelium is replaced by intestinal-type columnar cells with goblet cells. It develops in 5-10% of chronic GERD patients and raises esophageal adenocarcinoma risk to 0.1-0.3% per year. Surveillance endoscopy is recommended.

PPIs can be taken long-term when there is a valid indication — Barrett's esophagus, severe erosive disease, persistent symptoms despite step-down. Use the lowest effective dose, monitor magnesium and B12 periodically, and consider bone density on prolonged high-dose therapy. For mild intermittent GERD, on-demand or step-down dosing is preferred.

Drinking a small glass of water during or after a reflux episode can wash acid back into the stomach and provide quick relief. It does not prevent reflux. Avoid large volumes of water with meals, which expand the stomach and may provoke more transient relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter.