Gastro-oesophageal reflux occurs when stomach contents move back into the oesophagus. It may cause burning in the chest or upper abdomen, acidic regurgitation, belching, throat discomfort or night cough. Bloating may also relate to rapid eating, constipation, food intolerance, functional dyspepsia or other gastrointestinal conditions and is not always simply a “weak stomach”.
Recording food, meal and bedtime, alcohol, caffeine, weight, medicines and symptoms may reveal patterns. Smaller meals, avoiding lying down soon after eating, losing excess weight and stopping smoking may help. Frequent or severe symptoms should be assessed to determine whether acid suppression, testing or endoscopy is appropriate.
TCM may support appetite, bloating, bowel and stress-related symptoms, but temporary relief does not rule out an ulcer or other disease. Difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood, black stools, persistent vomiting, anaemia, weight loss or new chest pain requires prompt medical evaluation.
Some painkillers, supplements and other medicines can worsen reflux, so a clinician or pharmacist can review the list. Long-term self-treatment with acid-suppressing medicine also deserves review because the appropriate course depends on symptom frequency, age, other illness and warning signs.
