Whats the difference between indigestion and acid reflux

Confused about the difference between heartburn and acid reflux? Manan Shah, M.D., a Piedmont gastroenterologist, sets the record straight, plus shares three things you can do to reduce heartburn without medication.

Table of Contents Show

How common is heartburn in the United States?
What can you do about heartburn?
Check if you have acid reflux
Causes of heartburn and acid reflux
How you can ease heartburn and acid reflux yourself
A pharmacist can help with heartburn and acid reflux
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
Treatment for heartburn and acid reflux from a GP
Important: Important
Tests and surgery for heartburn and acid reflux
Is acid reflux and acid indigestion the same thing?
How can you tell if you have indigestion?
What does acid reflux and indigestion feel like?
Is acid reflux also called indigestion?

"Heartburn is a condition in which you feel burning behind your chest and it can be a symptom of reflux," says Dr. Shah. "Reflux is the medical term given to the stomach contents coming up into your esophagus. Heartburn is one of the common symptoms."

How common is heartburn in the United States?

Approximately 20 percent of the population has frequent heartburn symptoms – that's one in five people. If you're one of them, it's important to get your symptoms under control. Not only will doing so improve your quality of life, but you'll also reduce your risk of esophageal cancer and esophageal stricture, a narrowing in the esophagus caused by untreated inflammation.

What can you do about heartburn?

Dr. Shah says the following are research-proven methods for lessening heartburn symptoms:

Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
Get a better night's sleep. Elevate the head of the bed 6 to 8 inches with a cinderblock or wedge from a surgical supply store and let gravity work in your favor. Stomach acid won't come up as high in the esophagus, which should lessen your symptoms, particularly at night.
Consider your diet. Each person's needs are different. Certain foods may trigger heartburn in some people, but not in others. If you're susceptible to heartburn, limit your intake of the following foods to see if your symptoms improve:
- Spicy foods
- Carbonated beverages
- Caffeine
- Chocolate
- Fatty foods

"The bottom line is reflux is a condition that does affect patients and really can cause symptoms that affect quality of life," says Dr. Shah. "Medicines aren't the only options. There are a lot of things we can do with our lifestyle, the way we eat and the way we sleep to help improve our symptoms. And there are patients where diet and lifestyle don't improve their symptoms. That's where medicines and even surgery play a role."

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Heartburn is a burning feeling in the chest caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat (acid reflux). If it keeps happening, it's called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

Check if you have acid reflux

The main symptoms of acid reflux are:

heartburn – a burning sensation in the middle of your chest
an unpleasant sour taste in your mouth, caused by stomach acid

You may also have:

a cough or hiccups that keep coming back
a hoarse voice
bad breath
bloating and feeling sick

Symptoms are often worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over.

Causes of heartburn and acid reflux

Lots of people get heartburn from time to time. There's often no obvious reason why.

Sometimes it's caused or made worse by:

certain food and drink – such as coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate and fatty or spicy foods
being overweight
smoking
pregnancy
stress and anxiety
an increase in some types of hormones, such as progesterone and oestrogen
some medicines, such as anti-inflammatory painkillers (like ibuprofen)
a hiatus hernia – when part of your stomach moves up into your chest

How you can ease heartburn and acid reflux yourself

Simple lifestyle changes can help stop or reduce heartburn.

Do

eat smaller, more frequent meals
raise the head end of your bed by 10 to 20cm, so your chest and head are above the level of your waist, which can stop stomach acid travelling up towards your throat
try to lose weight if you're overweight
try to find ways to relax

Don’t

do not have food or drink that triggers your symptoms
do not eat within 3 or 4 hours before bed
do not wear clothes that are tight around your waist
do not smoke
do not drink too much alcohol
do not stop taking any prescribed medicine without speaking to a doctor first

A pharmacist can help with heartburn and acid reflux

Speak to a pharmacist for advice if you keep getting heartburn.

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

It's best to take these with food or soon after eating, as this is when you're most likely to get heartburn. They may also work for longer if taken with food.

Although antacids and alginates help symptoms in the short term, they will not cure the problem and should not be taken regularly for long periods.

If you’re pregnant, a pharmacist can advise you about medicines you can take.

Find a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

lifestyle changes and pharmacy medicines are not helping your heartburn
you have heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more
you also have other symptoms, like food getting stuck in your throat, frequently being sick, or losing weight for no reason

A GP can provide stronger treatments and help rule out any more serious causes of your symptoms.

If at any time you feel your symptoms are getting worse, contact a GP or NHS 111.

Treatment for heartburn and acid reflux from a GP

If you have acid reflux, a GP may prescribe a medicine called a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that reduces how much acid your stomach makes.

PPIs include:

omeprazole
lansoprazole

You'll usually need to take this type of medicine for 4 or 8 weeks, depending on how serious your acid reflux is.

Go back to the GP if your symptoms return after stopping your medicine. You may need a long-term prescription.

Important: Important

If a PPI does not help, your doctor may suggest trying a different type of medicine called a H2 receptor antagonist.

Tests and surgery for heartburn and acid reflux

If medicines do not help or your symptoms are severe, a GP may refer you to a specialist for:

tests to find out what's causing your symptoms, such as a gastroscopy (where a thin tube with a camera inside it is passed down your throat)
an operation on your stomach to stop acid reflux (laparoscopic fundoplication)

Page last reviewed: 09 September 2020
Next review due: 09 September 2023

Is acid reflux and acid indigestion the same thing?

The terms heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion are often used interchangeably.

How can you tell if you have indigestion?

Symptoms of indigestion The main symptom of indigestion is pain or a feeling of discomfort in your upper abdomen (dyspepsia). People often experience the associated feeling of burning behind the breastbone (heartburn), but this may occur on its own.

What does acid reflux and indigestion feel like?

Symptoms of heartburn include: A burning pain in the chest that usually occurs after eating and may occur at night. Pain that worsens when lying down or bending over. A bitter or acidic taste in the mouth.

Is acid reflux also called indigestion?

Also called acid indigestion, heartburn is a burning pain or discomfort that can move up from your stomach to the middle of your abdomen and chest. The pain can also move into your throat. Despite its name, heartburn doesn't affect your heart. Regurgitation.