Is Acid Reflux Curable? Yes, if You Can Conquer The Root Cause

Have you been chomping down on Tums, seeking relief for the constant burning in your chest, the sour taste in the back of your throat? Acid reflux strikes again: ack! This begs the question: is acid reflux curable? 

Here’s the scoop: you need to understand the root cause of your acid reflux (it may be different for each person) so that you can get to the bottom of it.  Hopefully, before you get to the bottom of your Tums bottle or need to refill your next acid reflux prescription.

Hello and welcome! I’m Sara Kahn, MS, CNS, CDN a board-certified nutritionist based in New York City specializing in digestive health conditions like SIBO, IBS, acid reflux and more. My team and I have extensive personal experience with acid reflux and know just how awful it can feel. That’s why we are so motivated to help you find lasting relief, ASAP!

Acid reflux is common. Getting down to the root cause of acid reflux is less common – we can help you stop acid reflux in its tracks. In this blog post, I’ll explain exactly what GERD, acid reflux and heartburn are, what can cause them, what can make things worse and how you can find sweet relief. 

But first – what is acid reflux, exactly?

Overview of acid reflux

Acid reflux is an uncomfortable condition where the contents of your stomach flow backward into your esophagus. The digestive tract is intended to be a one-way path, with muscles that act as doors to prevent backward movement.

The stomach contents are very acidic. But, our body has protective mucus in place to prevent that acid from harming the stomach while it is doing the important work of digesting your food. 

In the case of acid reflux, the acid has gone backward. This rogue acid damages your esophagus by eroding the protective mucus layer, which can cause pain.

Quick note: before you assume all acid deserves a bad reputation, know that an acidic stomach environment is crucial for normal digestion. But, that acid must be kept securely in your stomach. And if your acid is starting to erode your stomach, that is called an ulcer, which is a topic for another blog post.

Not having enough stomach acid is actually a recipe for other icky conditions – we’ll cover that in the PPI section of this article.

And you may be wondering, are acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) the same thing? Almost. Acid reflux is having the acid brush back into your esophagus less frequently. Your doctor may diagnose you with GERD if your acid reflux symptoms occur more than twice per week. 

Heartburn is one of the most common symptoms of acid reflux and GERD, but it isn’t the only one. Let’s explore some other common symptoms that our clients often struggle with.

Symptoms of acid reflux

What does acid reflux feel like? Symptoms of acid reflux vary by person and in intensity, but no matter what, they’re not fun. They may include:

• Burping
• Pressure in the chest (heartburn)
• Burning in the esophagus
• Regurgitating food
• Sour or bitter taste in the back of your throat
• Coughing
• Back pain

Symptoms might be worse at night or after big meals. More uncommon (and surprising) root causes of acid reflux are covered in the next section.

Common root causes of acid reflux

Here’s the bad news: it isn’t just spicy food that causes acid reflux; there can be a lot more root causes.

The good news? Once you know what is causing your acid reflux, you can make a plan to make things better. And, that is exactly what we help our clients with: getting down to root causes and making an evidence-based plan to feel better and prevent relapse!

Weakened LES sphincter

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a muscle that “closes the door” between the stomach and the esophagus. When all is well, that sphincter opens to allow your food and beverages to enter your stomach and then closes behind them.

The LES keeps the acidic stomach contents from flowing back into your esophagus. But, if that muscle is weakened, or if the pressure is too great, it might be unable to keep up with its job. And the acid escapes!

Certain foods and drinks are more likely to stress the LES – more about that in a bit.

Increased pressure

We can increase the pressure in our stomach, putting additional stress on the LES, if we gain weight.

This also happens during pregnancy; the sphincter is being put to the test! In addition, during pregnancy, hormonal changes can relax the LES, increasing risk of acid reflux, regardless of weight gain (1).

Bloating from food sensitivities or digestive conditions can cause increased abdominal pressure, which can lead to acid reflux.  More on that below.

Medications & Supplements

Certain medications and supplements can increase the risk of acid reflux, including:

• Antibiotics
• Certain pain medication
• Certain antidepressants
• Potassium supplements
• Progesterone (PS, this caused my reflux within 2 weeks of starting it) 

If you’re taking any prescription medication and struggling with acid reflux, be sure to speak with your doctor and check if acid reflux might be a side effect of that medication (2).

Learn more about supporting your digestive health with supplements here: The 4 Best Digestive Health Supplements, According to a Nutritionist.

Smoking

Of course, you already know that smoking is not a healthy habit, increasing your risk of lung cancer.

What most people don’t know is that smoking increases your risk of acid reflux. How? The nicotine relaxes the LES muscle, making it easier for the stomach contents to back up into the esophagus (3).

Hiatal hernia 

Your diaphragm is the thin muscle that runs below your lungs, helping you to breathe. Your stomach should be below your diaphragm, with your esophagus running through it.

In the case of a hiatal hernia, part of your stomach has bulged through the diaphragm. This can increase pressure on the stomach contents, causing acid reflux (similar to how weight gain and pregnancy can increase pressure, mentioned above).

Not everyone with a hiatal hernia has symptoms, but for those who do, they may be the same symptoms of acid reflux (4).

Age

Unfortunately, with age comes an increased risk of acid reflux. People over the age of 65 have a higher risk of GERD than their younger counterparts. This is due in part to weakened LES sphincter we mentioned earlier, but could also be due to H. Pylori infection, and greater use of medications, including aspirin (5). 

Surprising root causes of acid reflux

While you may have been familiar with all or some of the above root causes of acid reflux, these next few may come as a surprise.

SIBO & IBS

Acid reflux is very common for our clients with SIBO or IBS (and many folks have both, did you know that?).

The issue is that both SIBO and IBS can cause bloating. And the bloating in the abdomen changes the pressure and forces the contents of the stomach upwards.

• Click here for more information about IBS
• Click here for more information about SIBO

Not that I want to be the bearer of bad news, but it is actually quite common to have BOTH SIBO and IBS – ack! I explain more on that here: Symptom Overload: Could you have SIBO and IBS?

H. Pylori

Remember how we mentioned that older folks are at an increased risk of acid reflux? One of the reasons is because this group of people has a higher incidence of H. Pylori infections (6). While you might be thinking H. Pylori and ulcers – that’s true – H. Pylori is also a risk factor for acid reflux and GERD.

If you suspect an H. pylori infection, we recommend getting tested and treated by your gastroenterologist.  Once treated, gastric acidity levels can normalize and digestive function improves.  We see H. pylori and reflux a lot in our practice. 

Histamine and acid reflux

Can histamine intolerance cause GERD? Yes. 

If your body is having a histamine reaction or if you have a food allergy, the symptoms might present themselves as acid reflux – yuck! 

You may be familiar with histamine reactions as allergy symptoms, such as runny nose and watery eyes with seasonal allergies. What you may not realize is that you can have a host of symptoms with histamine reactions including: 

• Bloating
• Reflux
• Diarrhea
• Heart palpitations
• Migraines

You can have a histamine reaction either to foods that are high in histamines, or if your body is having a hard time clearing the histamine. 

Read more about histamine intolerance on this blog post.

Autoimmune Gastritis

Another less-well-known cause of acid reflux is an autoimmune condition called autoimmune gastritis (7). In this condition, the body is attacking the lining of your stomach and causing inflammation – ouch! 

Autoimmune gastritis can pave the way for nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B12 because your body no longer has enough acid to properly digest this important vitamin. 

Stress and anxiety

This one is probably going to surprise you, but stress and anxiety can make your heartburn worse – dang!

Being in a stressed state of mind changes your digestion – your body is in fight or flight mode, not “rest and digest” mode.  This increases pressure on your stomach and therefore risk of acid reflux.

Stress management can improve your whole life, including your risk of acid reflux (8). 

You can read more about the MANY connections between stress and digestion right here.

Other types of reflux

While most of this article is focused on the “main” kind of acid reflux, it is worth noting that there are a few other kinds of reflux. In this section, I’ll introduce you to two other kinds of acid reflux and one player who acts a lot like acid reflux.

Silent reflux/LPR

Like “regular” acid reflux, silent acid reflux is a condition where the stomach contents back up into the esophagus. Small molecules of acid and the enzyme pepsin may reach the back of your throat, which helps to explain some of the unique symptoms of this pedigree of acid reflux.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of silent acid reflux may be more vague and difficult to diagnose (9). It is typically diagnosed by an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. I can speak from personal experience with silent reflux; I called it the bane of my existence for two years.

In the case of silent reflux – otherwise known as Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) – the symptoms can be surprising. The symptoms of silent acid reflux may include:

• Hoarseness
• Constant cough
• Excessive throat clearing
• The sensation of having a lump in the throat (aka globus)
• Throat soreness or irritation 
• Chronic post nasal drip

The worst symptoms for me were constant throat clearing and globus (along with good old-fashioned reflux). What finally helped me clear it was to remove all triggers and irritants – even supplements that I thought were helping. 

Bile acid reflux

I’ll bet you haven’t heard of this kind of reflux!

Bile acids are digestive fluids made by your liver and stored in the gallbladder. They are intended to be doled out into the small intestine, to further digest your food as it slowly is released into the stomach. But as with acid reflux, a weakened sphincter muscle may not be up to the task.

In the case of bile acid reflux, the bile acids can wash backward into your stomach, or in rare cases, all the way back to the esophagus (10).

Similar to acid reflux, bile acids are the right digestive fluid in the wrong place. We need bile acids – they’re crucial for digestion – but they can cause issues when they’ve gone rogue and are not where they should be.

Symptoms of bile acid reflux can be similar to acid reflux, which makes it tricky to diagnose. And even more fun: you can have both acid reflux and bile acid reflux at the same time. Ack!

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE)

Eosinophilic Esophagitis, abbreviated EOE – is not actually a type of acid reflux but can feel like it. In the case of EOE, your body’s normal white blood cells that are living in your esophagus are having an abnormal reaction to food and causing inflammation, heartburn and difficulty swallowing. 

Food and environmental allergens are often associated with EOE but often don’t show up on allergy tests.  A short-term elimination diet designed by a nutritionist (ahem, that’s us) may help identify your triggers.

EOE can happen in children and adults. What may be a clue in the proper diagnosis of EOE is that your symptoms are not responsive to antacids or other acid reflux medications (11).

How is acid reflux diagnosed?

Your doctor may diagnose your acid reflux based on medical history and symptoms. But in order to know for sure, an endoscopy is the best way to diagnose acid reflux disease.

An endoscopy involves inserting a small tube down your throat that has a tiny camera on the end. The camera will allow your doctor to look at your esophagus and stomach, look for inflammation and even take a sample of esophageal tissue for further testing in a lab (12).

Once we know what is going on, what can we do to feel better? Let’s talk about that now!

Medical treatment for acid reflux & GERD

The most common treatment offered by your doctor is a prescription of Proton Pump Inhibitors, abbreviated PPIs. Example brands of PPIs include Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium. These medications reduce acid reflux symptoms by blocking your body’s ability to make so much acid. Less acid should mean a reduction in symptoms (13).

The trick is, PPIs are not intended to be a long-term solution: they’re not addressing your root cause of acid reflux, they’re simply managing symptoms.

Risk factors for long-term PPI use

The best practices for PPIs are to take them if needed and to have a tapering protocol with your doctor. It is really common for our clients to have been on PPIs for far too long. And unfortunately, long-term use of PPIs comes with risk.

Here is where use of PPIs becomes a little less appealing. Long-term use of PPIs includes risk of SIBO and IBS (and those two conditions also are a risk factor for acid reflux – dang!).

Long-term risks of taking PPIs may include (14):

• Nutrient deficiencies (including calcium and magnesium)
• Osteoporosis
• Dementia
• Pneumonia
• Kidney disease

It is important to have tools that help you to feel better, and we are not against medications. But we like it even better when we help our clients understand what is causing reflux to begin with so we can help alleviate symptoms and help stop it from coming back!  We always recommend addressing the root cause for long-term relief.

Let’s get off of this merry go round and address the root cause of acid reflux, for you, so that you can move on with a symptom-free future. Bye-bye, Tums!

What can you do to manage your acid reflux? 

Now for the good stuff! Yes, acid reflux is curable when you’re matched with the right plan. While there are many possible causes of acid reflux, the good news is that there are many tools in the toolbox to feel better. For the best results, we recommend partnering with an experienced nutritionist to navigate these confusing waters (Hey – that’s us!)

Avoid any known triggers

While you may not know all of your triggers yet, avoid anything that is known to cause your acid reflux to worsen. This can include foods, drinks and even medications (or nicotine) that can loosen the LES muscle.

Common acid reflux triggers can be abbreviated CRAP. Stop the CRAP to avoid feeling like crap, shall we?

• C – Cola/soda/carbonation, chocolate, coffee, caffeine (We’re sorry!)
• R – Refined carbohydrates – cookies, muffins, crackers, pastries and doughnuts.
• A – Acidic foods that aggravate reflux (citrus, tomatoes, vinegar) and alcohol
• P – Peppermint, prescription or over-the-counter medications like aspirin, NSAIDs and processed food (especially sugary carbohydrate and high-fat carbohydrate foods)

Avoid eating at least 3 hours before bed

A big meal and lying down are NOT a good mix with acid reflux. Plan to have your largest meal at lunch and a lighter dinner. Or, plan to have an early dinner so that your digestive system has time to digest your delicious meal long before bed.

Stay upright after eating

Same as above – we need to give our digestive system an opportunity to digest our food. How about a walk after dinner instead of Netflix?

Opt for light exercise after eating

While exercising is an important part of having a happy, healthy life and managing stress, it does matter what kinds you’re doing.

Having a vigorous workout right after a meal might make your acid reflux worse. An after-dinner stroll might be preferred by your digestive system to a Peloton ride or Zumba class.

For a deeper dive, click here to learn How Exercise can Affect IBS, SIBO and Reflux.

Eat enough protein

One common theme we see with our clients, especially women, is not having enough protein. Getting enough protein – but not too much – can help to lower your risk of acid reflux and GERD, among other concerns.

How much is enough? I explain here: How Much Protein to Eat with IBS, SIBO & Acid Reflux.

Consider Fasting

Eating too late at night can be a risk factor for reflux. Instead, having a longer time without eating – aka fasting – can actually help to reduce your risk. In fact, one recent study of people following traditional Ramadan fasting actually found that the participants had fewer episodes of reflux after the fasting period was over (15).

Different kinds of fasting sure are trendy! Here is what the science has to say about it: Different Types of Fasting for Improved Gut Health.

FAQs about Acid Reflux

Q: Does reflux go away on its own?

Unfortunately, no. Most people struggling with acid reflux, GERD and heartburn need support to manage symptoms and address the root cause(s). 

​Q: What does GERD stand for?

GERD stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease; this means that you have acid reflux and its symptoms, including heartburn, regularly (16). 

Q: What is the difference between acid reflux and heartburn?

Acid reflux is the condition of having stomach acid sneak out of your stomach; heartburn is one of the symptoms of having acid reflux or GERD. 

Q: Is it possible that low stomach acid causes reflux?

Functional medicine and wellness influencers frequently talk about low stomach acid as being a cause of acid reflux on social media and blog posts. Unfortunately, these claims are being made without a scientific basis. There is little in the medical literature regarding low stomach acid being a common cause of GERD. 

What’s interesting is this study on twins looked at the prevalence of GERD in those with atrophic gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach lining leading to lower production of stomach acid. The researchers found an inverse relationship between atrophic gastritis and GERD (17).  This suggests that lower stomach acid leads to fewer incidents of GERD. 

Q: What foods worsen acid reflux?

This depends on each person, but in general, drinks with caffeine or bubbles, acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruit, refined carbohydrates such as cookies or muffins as well as peppermint tea. It is also important to remember that certain medications may make your acid reflux worse, including aspirin.

Psst: while we don’t recommend peppermint tea if you have reflux, there is another option that might help. Click here to find out which one: The Best Tea for Nausea, Bloating and Constipation.

Q: What is the best alcoholic drink for acid reflux?

The safest option is to skip alcohol all together as it can slow down progress with healing your digestive tract. If you do feel like you do need a drink, folks tend to have fewer issues with gin, vodka or tequila. For wine drinkers, you may tolerate white wine over red wine because the red wine is higher in acidity. 

Q: How long does it take to heal acid reflux?

This really depends on the individual person. As you can now see, there are many possible root causes of GERD and mapping out your path to reducing symptoms and improving your quality of life will also be unique. 

Based on past clients, we typically see symptoms improve within 3 – 4 weeks once we have done our detective work to figure out what is contributing to your symptoms. Healing also depends on the pace you’re able to go with making changes within the context of your busy life. 

Acid Reflux & IBS Case Study: 

David was struggling with acid reflux, and constipation and had been diagnosed with IBS.  He had been stuck on a low-FODMAP diet for years.  The bloating and gas he was experiencing was related to his constipation.  And his bloating and gas was weakening his lower esophageal sphincter leading to acid reflux.  See how this is all connected? 

Our first step was to improve his constipation and we did that by replacing low-fiber foods with higher fiber low-FODMAP foods, which are less likely to cause gas and bloating.  We also worked on improving hydration, which can also help with constipation.  Because he reported more gas and bloating with high fat food, he benefited from digestive enzymes that can help him digest FODMAPs and high fat food.  

In less than 3 months, David reported significant improvements with constipation, bloating and gas, he also saw improvements in acid reflux.  His doctor approved a tapering protocol for his PPI medication.  From there, we continued to support FODMAP and fat digestion with the enzymes while he started to slowly broaden the diet by trying small amounts of high FODMAP foods. 

Over the next few months, David was able to tolerate a wide variety of food including garlic and onion all without constipation, gas, bloating or acid reflux.  He is now able to enjoy fine dining, traveling and holidays.  He has even enjoyed spicy foods and alcoholic beverages without issue.  

“To say my life has changed dramatically since then is putting it mildly. Not only do I eat food that I couldn’t tolerate with IBS, I eat meals that I couldn’t tolerate even prior to IBS! To our delight, my wife and I are back sharing meals in restaurants.” – David, Belly Bliss Nutrition Client 

Is Acid Reflux Curable: Key Takeaways

The root cause of acid reflux might be elusive to you and your doctor. But getting to the root cause (or root causes) of your acid reflux is an important step to being able to stop those symptoms in their tracks. Let’s banish that painful heartburn so that you can enjoy your life – and your favorite spicy dinner – once again.

Remission is possible – believe us! But, it takes a comprehensive look at your health history to make a plan for the future that actually works. Good news: We can help you do just that. 

I invite you to set up a complimentary call so that we can chat. You can explain what has been going on with you and your symptoms and then we can discuss what options you have to work with us. It may even be covered by your insurance plan. Don’t wait for relief: book your call today. 

Note: This blog was originally written in 2021; it was updated and republished in 2025.