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A symptom · Esophagus · see where this sits

Reflux

You’ve had heartburn or that sour, backing-up feeling. You want to know if it’s dangerous — and what actually helps.

What’s happening

A muscle at the bottom of the esophagus normally keeps stomach contents down. When it opens too easily, acid washes up and irritates the lining — felt as heartburn, regurgitation, a sour taste, sometimes a cough or hoarse voice. Occasional reflux is normal. We call it GERD when it happens often enough to bother you.

What usually helps

Eating earlier before bed, raising the head of the bed, trimming the few foods that reliably set you off, and acid-reducing medicine when needed. The aim is the least medication that keeps you comfortable — not the strongest pill forever.

Connect

When this needs a person, not a page

If any of these are happening, don’t wait it out — contact the office. These deserve a closer look rather than a stronger antacid.

Contact the office

Common questions

Is heartburn the same as GERD?

Heartburn is the symptom. GERD is the diagnosis when reflux is frequent or is affecting the esophagus. You can have one without the other.

Will I be on medication forever?

Not necessarily. Many people use it for a defined stretch, then taper as habits and triggers come under control.

The valve at the base of the esophagus — when it opens too easily, acid washes up.
Track — try it once

See your GERD-Q

Six questions about your last 7 days, each scored 0–3 and summed to 0–18 — the validated questionnaire clinics use to gauge how likely reflux symptoms are GERD. Pick what fits each item.

Score yourself now — nothing is saved or sent
How often did you have a burning feeling behind your breastbone (heartburn)?
How often did stomach contents (liquid or food) move up toward your throat or mouth (regurgitation)?
How often did you have pain in the centre of the upper stomach?
How often did you have nausea?
How often did difficulty sleeping relate to your heartburn or regurgitation?
How often did you take extra over-the-counter medicine for heartburn or regurgitation, beyond what your doctor advised?

Move the sliders to total a 0–18 score. The live total needs JavaScript; the bands below explain every range either way.

Less likely to be GERD under 8
On this snapshot the pattern is less likely to be GERD — though persistent symptoms can still be worth discussing.
A pattern consistent with GERD 8 and above
A pattern often seen in GERD, and worth bringing to your doctor — particularly the sleep and extra-medication items, which speak to how much it is affecting you.

One snapshot. Whether symptoms wake you at night, and how they move over weeks, often matters more than a single number. GERD OS tracks that trend for you.

General education, not a diagnosis or a prescription. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.

Instrument: Jones et al., Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2009;30:1030–1038.

Take the tools you need to move your care forward.

Track — the next chapter

Continue in GERD OS

If there are no warning signs, GERD OS continues from here as a pattern-finding tool: log symptoms and triggers, and bring the pattern — not just a vague history — to your visit.

The trigger pattern your clinician can act on.

Open the GERD OS tooliPhone app — pending App Store approval

Not sure which side of the line you’re on?

When symptoms are persistent or any warning sign is present, a conversation beats an app.

Appointments are with Rochester Gastroenterology Associates — for patients in the greater Western New York area.

Make an appointment Call (585) 267-4040
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