Feeling the burn? Heartburn & Indigestion Leaving a Bad Taste in your Mouth?

During these challenging times, there is considerable anxiety about people’s health. Changing lifestyles, eating and drinking habits can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Up to 25% of the UK population suffer from weekly heartburn and reflux symptoms which can have a significant impact on their quality of life. This is known as Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GORD). Severe symptoms can lead to abdominal pain and even nausea and vomiting.

Making changes to your lifestyle can often improve symptoms, including:

• Eating small regular meals and not skipping meals.
• Taking time to chew properly and relaxing at meal times to give yourself a chance to digest food.
• Avoiding excess tea, coffee, alcohol and highly spiced, fatty foods.
• Avoiding late night meals.
• Avoiding bending or lying down immediately after eating.
• Exercising and losing weight.
• Stopping smoking.

In addition, simple medications are often very effective. Occasionally, acid reflux can lead to inflammation in the food pipe (oesophagus) which rarely can also develop into more serious disease. Investigation with endoscopy is useful in checking for conditions including hiatus hernia, inflammatory changes, h. pylori infection, gastric and duodenal ulceration.

If your symptoms persist despite basic measures, there is a full upper GI assessment and endoscopy service available at the New Malden Diagnostic Centre, where we would be happy to offer advice and treatment as well as arrange local endoscopic assessment. 

Rishi Goel, Consultant Gastroenterologist
The New Malden Diagnostic Centre