gastroesophageal reflux disease Endoscopic image of peptic stricture showing narrowing of the esophagus near the junction with the stomach due to chronic gastroesophageal reflux in the setting of scleroderma. (more) gastroesophageal reflux disease pathology Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/gastroesophageal-reflux-disease Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites The Nemours Foundation - For Teens - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Johns Hopkins Medicine - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease MedicineNet - GERD (Acid Reflux, Heartburn) MSD Manual - Professional Version - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Mayo Clinic - Gastroesophageal reflux disease National Center for Biotechnology Information - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Mount Sinai - Gastroesophageal reflux disease Nature - Scientific Reports - Global Prevalence and Risk Factors of Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD): Systematic Review with Meta-analysis Healthline - Everything you need to know about Acid Reflux and GERD Cleveland Clinic - GERD (Chronic Acid Reflux) Cedars-Sinai - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)/Heartburn Frontiers - Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine - Gastroesophageal reflux disease may causally associate with the increased atrial fibrillation risk: evidence from two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses WebMD - GERD Penn Medicine - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: GERD, gastroesophageal reflux, reflux Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jul 28, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Related Topics: gastrointestinal tract heartburn (Show more) On the Web: Mount Sinai - Gastroesophageal reflux disease (July 19, 2025) (Show more) See all related content News • Ethiopian official denies Donald Trump's claim that US funded Gerd - the River Nile dam • July 23, 2025, 5:24 AM ET (BBC) Show less gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), relatively common digestive disorder characterized by frequent passage of gastric contents from the stomach back into the esophagus. The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn, a burning sensation in the chest and upper abdomen. Other symptoms may include coughing, frequent clearing of the throat, difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), regurgitation of food or digestive fluids, hoarseness, or exacerbation of asthma.

　　Causes of GERD include relaxation of the muscle that connects the esophagus and the stomach (lower esophageal sphincter), delayed emptying of the esophagus or stomach, hiatal hernia, or obesity. A common cause of the disorder in women is pregnancy. GERD can be treated with antacids or with medications that inhibit acid production, such as histamine receptor antagonists (Zantac™, Pepcid™) or proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec™, Prevacid™). Treatment of the disorder also includes dietary and lifestyle changes such as not eating for three hours before bedtime, avoiding acidic or fatty foods or beverages, raising the head of the bed to discourage nocturnal reflex, cessation of smoking, and weight loss. Surgery may be necessary in cases of severe reflux. If GERD is not treated, squamous cells of the esophageal lining may be replaced with columnar cells, a condition known as Barrett esophagus; some persons with Barrett esophagus develop esophageal cancer.

　　The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.