When to see a doctor
- Heartburn, acidity, or a sour taste from acid or food coming back up, on most days for 3 weeks or more
- Acidity that keeps coming back despite antacids (medicines that settle stomach acid) or changes to your diet
- A long-lasting cough or sore throat, often worse at night
- A hoarse voice for more than 3 weeks. This should always be checked, as it can have other causes, especially if you smoke or use tobacco.
- Difficulty swallowing, food sticking, repeated vomiting, losing weight without trying, or anaemia (low haemoglobin) found on a blood test. See a doctor within a few days for these.
- New or ongoing indigestion or acidity if you are aged 45 or over
Get urgent help if
- Chest pain, pressure or heaviness, especially with sweating, breathlessness or nausea (feeling like vomiting), or spreading to the arm, jaw, neck or back. This may be a heart attack, even if it feels like acidity. Older people and people with diabetes may have milder symptoms. Call 108 or go to the nearest emergency department straight away.
- Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- Black, sticky, tar-like stools
- Food stuck in the chest, and you cannot swallow even water
- Sudden, severe stomach pain that does not settle
Call the hospital on +91 251 260 8502 (open 24 hours) or go to the nearest emergency department. For an ambulance, call 108. Do not wait for an OPD appointment.
How care usually works
- Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, meals, sleep and medicines, including painkillers, and may examine your stomach.
- Simple changes may be suggested first, such as smaller meals, avoiding trigger foods, and not lying down soon after eating.
- Your doctor may prescribe medicines that reduce stomach acid for a set time, and then review how you feel.
- An endoscopy (a camera test of the food pipe and stomach) may be advised if symptoms continue or warning signs appear.
- A small number of people may be referred to a surgeon to discuss an operation. This is usually when tests confirm reflux, and medicines do not control it well or are not suitable long term. Special tests of the food pipe are usually needed first.
Typical hospital stay
Most people with acid reflux do not need to stay in hospital, and an endoscopy is usually a same-day test. If an operation is ever discussed, your surgeon will explain the likely stay for your situation.
Doctors for this treatment
Frequently asked questions
When should I see a doctor for acidity?
It is worth seeing a doctor if you have acidity on most days for 3 weeks or more. See a doctor within a few days if you have trouble swallowing, weight loss or repeated vomiting. People aged 45 or over with new indigestion should also be checked. Vomiting blood, black tar-like stools, or chest pain with sweating or breathlessness need emergency care straight away.
What happens at the first visit?
It helps to bring a list of all your medicines, including painkillers and home remedies. Note when the acidity happens and what seems to bring it on. Your doctor may examine your stomach and check your weight. Many people are first advised simple changes, sometimes with medicines. A follow-up visit may be planned to see how you are doing.
Will I need tests?
Many people do not need tests at first. If symptoms continue or warning signs are present, an endoscopy may be advised. A breath or stool test for H. pylori (a common stomach germ) may be suggested, as it can cause ulcers (sores in the stomach lining) and indigestion. Acid-reducing tablets and antibiotics taken in recent weeks can affect this test. Your doctor may ask you to stop acid-reducing tablets for about 2 weeks before it, but do this only on your doctor’s advice. Less often, a test that measures acid in the food pipe over 24 hours or longer may be used, usually before an operation is considered.
Can I keep taking acidity tablets on my own?
Not for long without advice. Antacids from a chemist may help mild acidity now and then. Acid-reducing tablets, which many people call acidity tablets, should be taken on a doctor’s advice and reviewed. If you need either often, or for more than 3 weeks, see a doctor. Do not stop prescribed medicines without asking your doctor.
A note about this page
This page is general information, not medical advice. Please see a doctor about your own symptoms.