Gas Health Video

Heartburn, or GERD, is marked by pain or burning radiating up the chest and is caused by acid from the stomach moving up the esophagus. Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments of heartburn in this health video.

Take Action

Do not eat less than four hours before bed
Elevate the head of your bed
Avoid large meals
Use over-the-counter antacids
Seek medical care for more than three to five episodes of GERD a week

About this Author

Dr. Sewell joined On Call Medical Group after serving as the Medical Director of the Samaritan House in San Mateo. Dr. Sewell continues his community service and out reach work by acting locally. Dr. Sewell strives to provide the most comprehensive, personalized, and convenient medical care possible. He is dedicated to meeting each patient's individual needs and health care goals. Dr. Sewell has served the San Francisco Bay area as a house call doctor, he spends time with his patients to get to the root cause of their issues and concerns. He has worked with the elderly and continues in Internal Medicine with adult patients. Dr. Sewell's educational background includes Duke University BSE Biomedical/Electrical engineering; Georgetown University Masters in Biophysics and Physiology; Virginia Commonwealth University MD degree; California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, Internal medicine internship and residency. Dr. Sewell is versed in Spanish and is an expert in the field of Travel Medicine.

CLIFFORD SEWELL, MD: Hello. I'm Dr. Clifford Sewell, a brief message about gas. Gas is the common term for gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. GERD's most common symptom is epigastric or upper abdominal burning or pain. This pain could happen at any time. Sometimes it's associated with meals or after meals. The symptoms most commonly described to me by my patients would be an ascending burning coming up the chest, most often following a large meal. The treatment for GERD is antacid medications. If GERD is not prevented or treated, then it can progress to a more serious condition of esophageal cancer. So for most of us, a little heartburn might seem innocuous; however, it can eventually turn into esophageal cancer. It should be maintained and treated appropriately by a physician. So, seek doctor's attention if your reflux symptoms persist even with over-the-counter medications. Prevention of GERD can be done in several ways. One is to limit the size of your meals in the evening by not eating a large meal more than four hours before bedtime. You can elevate the head of your bed to allow the acid to remain in the stomach. The treatment for GERD can start with over-the-counter medications. A good place to start would be a Pepcid or a Prilosec. These medications reduce the acid in the stomach to a near detectable level over a period of 24 hours. Medications such as Tums or short-acting antacids are fine for relatively infrequent episodes of gas or heartburn; however, if you're having more than three to five episodes of heartburn per week, I would recommend seeking medical care from a physician.