Heartburn: triggers, symptoms and treatments

Heartburn is a burning sensation or discomfort in the chest that usually happens after you’ve eaten certain types of food.1 It’s one of the symptoms of acid reflux, where some of your stomach contents flow back up into your oesophagus (the tube that carries food down from your mouth to your stomach – you might know this better as your food pipe).¹

68% OF PEOPLE SUFFER BOTH HEARTBURN AND INDIGESTION2*

What's causing your heartburn? 

Acid reflux is something that happens naturally in the body all the time and most times you don’t even notice.3 But some people are at increased risk of getting heartburn symptoms, in particular if you:^{1, 4}

• Are stressed
• Pregnant
• Have eaten large meals or fatty/spicy foods like curry or chocolate. Certain other foods, such as peppermint, onion, tomatoes and citrus fruits are also known heartburn triggers
• Have been drinking coffee, alcohol or fizzy drinks
• Are overweight
• Are a smoker
• Have a hiatus hernia (where part of your stomach is pushed up through your diaphragm).

HEARTBURN IS MOST COMMON IN THE AFTERNOON OR AFTER DINNER2*

What are the symptoms of heartburn?

Think you might have heartburn? What should you look out for?

Common heartburn symptoms are:^1,3

• Uncomfortable burning sensation in the chest– The discomfort tends to start from the central part of your lower chest, at the bottom of your breastbone, and can rise upwards, sometimes as far up as your throat
• Unpleasant taste– A sour taste in your mouth
• Difficulty in swallowing– You might also have some pain
• Throat irritation– Frequent throat clearing, coughing and choking.

Still have questions? If so, or if you are worried about your symptoms or notice they are getting worse or more frequent, please speak to your GP or a pharmacist.

IN A SURVEY, PEOPLE SAID BELCHING WAS THEIR SECOND MOST COMMON HEARTBURN SYMPTOM2*

How can I treat heartburn?

Looking for effective ways to help prevent and treat this common condition?

There are lots of things you can do help prevent your heartburn and ease your symptoms:¹ 

• Be drink aware– Cut down on your tea, coffee and alcohol
• Change your sleeping position– Place a wooden block under the head of your bed to raise it up as this can help keep stomach acid down while you sleep. Try and avoid using extra pillows as this can increase the pressure on your stomach
• Avoid food before bedtime– Stop eating 3–4 hours before you try to get to sleep
• Change how you eat – Instead of having three large meals a day, eat smaller meals more often
• Cut down on certain foods– Reduce rich, spicy or fatty foods in your diet or foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits that you know trigger your heartburn
• Stop smoking– Aside from easing heartburn, this has many other health benefits
• Weight control– Lose any excess weight and try to do more exercise.

IT’S COMMON FOR SYMPTOMS TO BE WORSE WHEN YOU LIE DOWN3

Do you know how Gaviscon can help?

Gaviscon provides soothing relief from heartburn.5 Gaviscon products:

• Provide long-lasting relief⁵ and are available in liquid form or chewable tablets
• Contain an alginate– This works with the body by forming a protective foam barrier on the moment it comes it meets your stomach contents. 5 This physical barrier sits on top of your stomach, to help prevent stomach acids rising into your oesophagus.5

With 68% of people saying they experience both heartburn and indigestion symptoms and around 1 in 5 having both at the same time,2* Gaviscon Extra could be a solution. As well as containing an alginate it also has two antacids that help neutralise stomach acids, and so helps provide relief from indigestion as well as heartburn.^6–8 

It gets to work instantly, soothing in just 3 minutes, and lasts for up to 4 hours.^6-9 Gaviscon Extra can be taken after meals and at bedtime to ease heartburn and indigestion symptoms.

WHEN SUFFERING FROM THE SYMPTOMS OF HEARTBURN, 60% OF PEOPLE JUST WANT TO FEEL NORMAL AGAIN2*

All information presented is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. If symptoms are severe or prolonged you should consult a doctor or pharmacist.

*Based on survey of 13,831 Heartburn and Indigestion Sufferers from 5 Countries²

Gaviscon Oral Suspension Aniseed, Gaviscon Liquid Peppermint Flavour, Gaviscon Liquid Aniseed Flavour and Gaviscon Peppermint Chewable Tablets, Gaviscon Extra Oral Suspension, Gaviscon Extra Chewable Tablets and Gaviscon Extra Liquid Sachets Peppermint Flavour contain sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate for heartburn and indigestion. Gaviscon Advance Oral Suspension 300ml & 600ml contains Sodium Alginate and Potassium Bicarbonate for heartburn and indigestion.  ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. Date of preparation: June 2021. RB-M-43768

1. Health Service Executive. Acid reflux. Accessed December 2020. https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/az/a/acid-reflux/.
2. RB GI segmentation research. September 2010.
3. Guts UK. Heartburn and acid reflux. Accessed December 2020. https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/symptoms/heartburn-and-reflux/.
4. Nwokediuko SC. ISRN Gastroenterology, 2012; 2012:391631.doi: 10.5402/2012/391631.
5. Gaviscon Liquid Peppermint Flavour. Summary of Product Characteristics. Accessed June 2021. https://www.medicines.ie/medicines/gaviscon-liquid-peppermint-flavour-32244/patient-info
6. Gaviscon Extra Chewable Tablets. Summary of Product Characteristics. Accessed June 2021
   https://www.medicines.ie/medicines/gaviscon-extra-chewable-tablets-32239/patient-info
7. Gaviscon Extra Oral Suspension. Summary of Product Characteristics. Accessed June 2021
   https://www.medicines.ie/medicines/gaviscon-extra-oral-suspension-32242/patient-info
8. Gaviscon Extra Liquid Sachets Peppermint Flavour. Summary of Product Characteristics. Accessed June 2021 https://www.medicines.ie/medicines/gaviscon-extra-liquid-sachets-peppermint-flavour-34892/patient-info
9. Strugala V, et al. J Int Med Res, 2010;38:449–457.

Article published 1 January 2021