Heartburn
By the AllHealth UK editorial teamLast reviewed Next review due Compiled from published NHS and NICE guidance. Not reviewed by a clinician.
Key facts
Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach acid flowing back up into the oesophagus (acid reflux). Despite its name, it has nothing to do with the heart. The NHS says lots of people get it from time to time.
Most often affects:Pregnant womenOverweight individualsSmokersAdults 40–60
What commonly causes heartburn
- Eating spicy, fatty, or acidic foods (citrus, tomatoes, chocolate)
- Eating large meals or eating late at night
- Being overweight — excess abdominal fat pushes stomach acid upward
- Pregnancy — hormones relax the valve between stomach and oesophagus
- Smoking — weakens the lower oesophageal sphincter
- Stress and anxiety
- Some medicines, especially anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen
- A hiatus hernia — part of the stomach moving up into the chest
- A stomach ulcer, or a bacterial infection in the stomach (H. pylori)
What helps at home
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of 3 large ones
- Avoid trigger foods: spicy, citrus, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, tomato-based sauces
- Don't lie down for at least 3 hours after eating
- Raise the head of your bed by 10–20cm (use blocks, not extra pillows)
- Take over-the-counter antacids (Gaviscon, Rennie) after meals
- Lose weight if overweight — even small reductions help
When to get help
These three levels are different. Getting the level right is the single most useful thing this page can do for you.
Non-urgent advice: see a GP if
- Heartburn happens most days for 3 weeks or more
- Over-the-counter antacids are no longer helping
- You have lost weight without trying
- You are taking antacids most days to get through the week
- Heartburn keeps waking you at night
Urgent advice: ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if
- Food feels like it is sticking, or it hurts to swallow
- You feel breathless or sweaty with the burning and are not sure it is heartburn
Immediate action required: call 999 or go to A&E if
- Severe chest pain that could be confused with a heart attack — if unsure, call 999
- Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like ground coffee
- Your poo is bloody, or black and sticky and extremely smelly
What to do next
Not sure whether heartburn needs a doctor? These are your options, cheapest and fastest first.
Questions people ask about heartburn
Reducing the chance of it coming back
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat your evening meal at least 3 hours before bed
- Quit smoking — it weakens the anti-reflux barrier
- Wear loose-fitting clothing — tight belts worsen reflux
Conditions this can be part of
Listed alphabetically, not by likelihood — this page does not tell you which one you have.
- Gastritis
- GERD
- Hiatal hernia
- Oesophagitis
Sources and further reading
This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.
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