If your chest burns in the middle after a meal and a sour taste rises when you lie down, it may be heartburn (acid reflux). The NHS says to eat smaller, more frequent meals, not eat within 3 or 4 hours of bedtime, and raise the head of the bed by around 10 to 20cm. Stacking extra pillows can make it worse, the page says. This sets out the NHS page “Heartburn and acid reflux”.
1. Smaller, more frequent meals; nothing within 3 or 4 hours of bed.
2. Raise the head of the bed by 10 to 20cm. Extra pillows are not recommended.
3. Heartburn most days, food getting stuck, or unexplained weight loss? See a GP.
Symptoms — NHS
- Heartburn — a burning sensation in the middle of the chest
- An unpleasant sour taste in the mouth, caused by stomach acid
- Often worse after eating, when lying down or when bending over
Lifestyle changes — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Do | Eat smaller, more frequent meals | Not big meals |
| Do | Raise the head of the bed by around 10 to 20cm | Not extra pillows (NHS) |
| Do | Lose weight if overweight; find ways to relax | Stress is on the causes list |
| Avoid | Eating within 3 or 4 hours of bedtime | Eat dinner earlier |
| Avoid | Trigger foods and drinks, tight clothes round the waist, smoking, too much alcohol | Triggers vary by person |
| Don’t | Stop prescribed medicine without speaking to a doctor | Ask first, even if it seems to cause it |
Possible triggers — the NHS list
The NHS says there is often no clear reason, but it is sometimes linked to food and drink such as coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate and fatty or spicy food. Other factors include being overweight, smoking, pregnancy, stress and anxiety, hormone changes, some medicines, a hiatus hernia, a stomach ulcer and a bacterial infection. Daily caffeine limits are in how much caffeine a day, and alcohol in alcohol units.
From a pharmacy
A pharmacist may recommend antacids or alginates, taken with or soon after food. They relieve symptoms for a short time but do not cure the cause, and should not be used regularly for long periods.
When to see a GP
- Lifestyle changes and pharmacy medicines are not helping
- You have heartburn most days
- You have other symptoms, such as food getting stuck in your throat, frequent sickness or unexplained weight loss
Where the US NIDDK says something different
The US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases lists lifestyle changes a doctor may recommend: losing weight, raising your head 6 to 8 inches off the bed during sleep, quitting smoking and changing eating habits. But as ways to raise the head it names a foam wedge or extra pillows, unlike the NHS, which advises against extra pillows.
For over-the-counter medicines it lists antacids for mild heartburn, and acid-reducing H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), saying PPIs are generally more effective than H2 blockers. Antacids should not be used daily or for severe symptoms without talking to a doctor.
We have left the disagreement on pillows as it is. The heights (10 to 20cm, 6 to 8 inches) are similar (our reading).
Checklist
- ☐ Smaller, more frequent meals
- ☐ Nothing to eat in the 3 or 4 hours before bed
- ☐ Raise the head of the bed 10 to 20cm (not pillows)
- ☐ Avoid tight waistbands, smoking and too much alcohol
- ☐ Most days, or food sticking? See a GP
Questions that remain
What if it goes on for weeks?
The NHS page read here uses “most days” and other symptoms rather than a number of weeks, so we give no period.
What about prescription medicines?
Neither page covers prescription medicine names or doses, so we name none.
Sources
- NHS — Heartburn and acid reflux — original (page last reviewed 20 November 2023, next review due 20 November 2026; checked 12 October 2026). Symptoms, smaller meals, 3 or 4 hours, 10 to 20cm and no extra pillows, weight and relaxing, what to avoid, triggers, antacids and alginates, three reasons to see a GP.
- NIDDK — Treatment for GER & GERD — original (last reviewed July 2020; checked 12 October 2026). Weight, 6 to 8 inches with a foam wedge or extra pillows, quitting smoking, eating habits, antacids, H2 blockers and PPIs.
- Not read. Korean agencies’ reflux guidance; prescription medicine sources.
- Added by us. The “worth noting” column.
Where to check further
- A pharmacy — antacids and alginates.
Written 12 October 2026. The content follows the NHS and NIDDK originals; the glosses are ours.