When to see a doctor about reflux: warning signs and a quick check

Most reflux can be managed with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter remedies. But some symptoms should never be self-treated. Use the quick check below, then read the guidance underneath.

Call your emergency number now if you have

• chest pain that feels crushing, heavy or tight, or spreads to your arm, neck, jaw or back
• chest pain with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or feeling faint
• vomiting a lot of blood
• food stuck in your throat that you cannot swallow or bring up, especially if you cannot swallow your saliva

999 in the UK, 911 in the US and Canada, 112 across the EU, 000 in Australia.

See a doctor within days if you have

• difficulty swallowing or food sticking, even if it comes and goes
• pain when swallowing
• weight loss you cannot explain
• vomiting that keeps coming back, or vomit containing blood or coffee-ground material
• black, tarry stools
• unusual tiredness, breathlessness or paleness, which can be signs of anaemia
• new or persistent reflux or indigestion and you are 55 or over
• a lump in your upper abdomen

These "alarm features" do not usually mean something serious, but they do mean you should be examined, and often have an endoscopy, rather than just trying medicine.

Book a routine appointment if

• you have heartburn most days for three weeks or more
• over-the-counter remedies are not helping, or you need them for more than two to four weeks
• reflux is affecting your sleep, eating or work
• you have a cough, hoarseness or throat symptoms that have lasted more than a few weeks
• symptoms are changing, or coming back after treatment
• you have been on a PPI for a long time and have not had it reviewed in the last year

A pharmacist can help with

Occasional or mild heartburn without any warning signs. Pharmacists can advise on antacids, alginates and short courses of acid-reducing medicine, and tell you when you need a doctor.

Before your appointment

Write down your symptoms, when they happen and what you have tried. The symptom diary can create a printable summary. See also what to tell your doctor and questions to ask.