Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Home treatment measures may help you control the symptoms of mild gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These include making lifestyle changes and taking nonprescription medicines that reduce or block acid. These include antacids (for example, Tums), H2 blockers (for example, Pepcid), and proton pump inhibitors (for example, Prilosec OTC). If you have been using nonprescription medicines to treat your symptoms for longer than 2 weeks, talk to your doctor. If you have GERD, the medicine could be causing damage to your esophagus. Your doctor can help you find the right treatment.

Lifestyle changes that may help include:

• Quitting tobacco use. If you smoke or chew tobacco, stop. The nicotine from tobacco relaxes the valve between the esophagus and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter). This can allow stomach acid and juices to back up (reflux) into the esophagus, which causes the uncomfortable feeling of burning, warmth, heat, or pain just behind the breastbone, a feeling commonly referred to as heartburn.
• Changing your eating habits. For example, chocolate, peppermint, and alcohol can all make GERD worse by relaxing the valve between the esophagus and the stomach. For some people, spicy foods or foods that have a lot of acid (like tomatoes and oranges) can also make symptoms worse. If you notice that your symptoms are worse after eating a specific food, you may want to stop eating that food to see if your symptoms get better. It also may be a good idea to eat smaller, more frequent meals. This may make heartburn less likely to occur. Take your spouse or partner along with you when you see your doctor to discuss diet habits. It will be easier to make changes in your diet if your family understands what you need to do and why.
• Losing weight if you are overweight. Being overweight puts additional pressure on your stomach and increases the likelihood that heartburn will occur. Even losing a few pounds can help.
• Avoiding or reducing pressure on your stomach. This will make heartburn less likely to occur.
• Staying upright after meals. This includes not eating 2 to 3 hours before going to bed and raising the head of your bed 6 in. (15.2 cm) to 8 in. (20 cm). You can raise the head of your bed by putting blocks underneath your bed frame or placing a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. Using extra pillows does not work.

GERD: Controlling heartburn by changing your habits

Along with lifestyle changes, nonprescription medicines may be needed to control occasional heartburn. Medicines used for home treatment of GERD include antacids (for example, Tums), H2 blockers (for example, Pepcid), and proton pump inhibitors (for example, Prilosec OTC). If you have been using nonprescription medicines to treat your symptoms for longer than 2 weeks, talk to your doctor. If you have GERD, the medicine could be causing damage to your esophagus. Your doctor can help you find the right treatment. For more information about prescription forms of these drugs, see the Medications section of this topic.