The Word on GERD (& Acid Reflux / Heartburn)

**Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. The below is guidance only, based on my own experiences and research**
Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD have similar basic components, however the extent and severity of symptoms are what differentiates these conditions.
Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD are essentially different points along the same spectrum, with heartburn being the most benign & least intrusive/dangerous, acid reflux presenting worsened and/or additional symptoms, and GERD being the mother of them all, with even worsened and/or additional symptoms, as well as risk for developing other dangerous conditions.

Possible symptoms of all three of these conditions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Chest Pain (typically like a burning sensation) that can worsen when lying down or bending over, can set in after eating (especially large meals) and can spread up to the throat
• bloating, belching, hiccup, heartburn and/ or indigestion
• Bitter taste in the mouth or back of throat and/or sore throat
• Cracking voice/hoarseness
• Chronic coughing and/or wheezing and/or asthma (it’s unclear whether people develop asthma as a result or whether its symptoms are simply worsened with Heartburn, Acid Reflux and/or GERD)
• Nausea (particularly where there is no clear reason as to why you are nauseated)
• Difficulty or pain when swallowing (typically only for Acid Reflux and/or GERD, as it is caused by scarring in the esophagus from the continuous damaging/healing process caused by acid reflux)
• Regurgitating sour-tasting liquid or food (this doesn’t necessarily mean full-on throwing up, but can be small bursts in the back of the throat)

GERD is a serious condition that needs to be addressed with your doctor, due to the risks of other conditions that can result from it (such as Barrett’s Esophagus and esophageal cancer). It’s easy to keep popping the Tums, taking over the counter Pepcid AC or Zantac or some such similar drug, but once you are experiencing symptoms regularly (more than twice a week) and/or your symptoms are interfering with your daily life, it is crucial to get checked out by your doctor and make sure nothing more serious has developed.

How can you tell when it’s time to stop self-medicating/your Acid Reflux symptoms are serious enough to point towards GERD?


There are some things most of us have heard before as to how to prevent heartburn (namely, “don’t eat spicy food!”). In reality, there are many different factors – many having nothing to do with what you eat – that play a role in the severity of your symptoms. One of the most important of these is stress and/or anxiety. While there has been no scientific proof that stress/anxiety actually causes higher levels of acid production in the stomach, it is believed that chronic stress and anxiety can cause changes in the brain, turning up pain receptors and making you more physically sensitive to even the slightest of increases in acid levels. Furthermore, stress and anxiety can cause a reduction in the production of prostaglandins, being substances that, when functioning at normal levels, protect the stomach from the effects of acid. The reduction, then, could lead to an increased perception of discomfort. And of course, anyone with anxiety knows that when presented with troubling health issues such as GERD, anxiety levels typically increase in response to the troubling symptoms.

Therefore, it’s important to develop methods for effectively handling stress and anxiety, including incorporating lifestyle changes that can help minimize your overall stress and anxiety which – along with dietary and other lifestyle changes – can help reduce the frequency and severity of GERD/Acid Reflux symptoms.



(Clickable Link)

In addition to stress and anxiety, there are other lifestyle factors completely removed from your eating habits that play a part in your GERD symptoms. With some lifestyle changes you can minimize your symptoms (note, however, this does not mean you will not require any medication or shouldn’t see your doctor. These are simply things your doctor will probably advise you to do anyway, in addition to taking any medication(s) they may prescribe).

What you eat does, of course, have an effect on your Heartburn/Acid Reflux/GERD symptoms. For the most part, every person is different in what their trigger foods are, but there are some that affect the majority of people with these conditions (I’m looking at you, coffee, fried foods and spicy foods!). As with IBS, your doctor will likely advise you to go on a kind of “elimination diet” and keep a journal of your symptoms (both physically and emotionally) to try and determine what foods are trigger/problematic foods for you. Since GERD is the most severe on the spectrum, naturally there are more foods that can be problematic, and the list of problem foods is longer than the list of acceptable foods! It would be nearly impossible to set forth 1 set list of foods everyone with GERD should avoid, and there are already numerous other websites with this kind of information (though they are often conflicting). The recipes on this blog, though, (posted on or after 8/8/15) are designed to be safe for the majority of people with GERD as they do not contain any of the well-known widely acknowledged problematic foods or they contain very small quantities of potentially problematic foods (that, in that small quantity, should not pose a problem for the majority of GERD sufferers). For those with ingredients that may pose problems for people with severe GERD, additional notes are made as to how to work around that.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop at what you’re eating (and how much of it), as the severity and frequency of your GERD symptoms is just as much about how you’re eating as what you’re eating.

Does this all seem horribly overwhelming? That’s how I felt when first beginning to accept and deal with my GERD (and IBS), but then after embracing it have realized it’s very possible to take back control over your health. Focus on the lifestyle changes you have control over and leave the daunting task of meal planning up to me. Go here to check out all of the GERD/Heartburn/Reflux friendly recipes posted here on the blog so far (more are added every week).

And again, if you are experiencing symptoms of Heartburn/Acid Reflux/GERD, while I encourage you to implement the abovementioned lifestyle changes right away, you absolutely should go see your doctor ASAP, especially before making any drastic dietary changes! It’s important to make sure that nothing else is going on and that it is safe for you to make certain dietary changes. So go to the doctor and get it out of the way, then you will feel much better when you find out everything else is ok and you have a clear path in front of you to take control of your symptoms and overall health.

Now that you have an idea of what GERD is (and isn’t), check out the other digestive health pages to learn about IBS and its connection with GERD, how to shop with dietary restrictions and just what the heck this Low FODMAP food plan is all about: The IBS Lowdown, The IBS & GERD Connection, Low FODMAP Food Plan, Shopping w/Dietary Restrictions and What a Symptom-Free Day Looks Like.

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**Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. The above is guidance only, based on my own experiences and research**