Whatever treatment the doctor recommends, once the symptoms have been alleviated and/or any actual damage to the oesophagus has had a chance to recover, treatment should be reduced to the minimum that controls the symptoms, or stopped altogether. If the symptoms recur at a later point, treatment should then be restarted.

Although GORD is not caused by any specific lifestyle factors (many sufferers do not smoke or drink heavily), certain aspects of the person's way of life might aggravate the symptoms and people can take steps to reduce this risk. For example, people who smoke should consider stopping because, as with many disorders, smoking can make the symptoms worse and stopping smoking has many general health benefits. In addition, GORD is a common occurrence in pregnant women; in this case, obviously the triggering factor cannot be avoided!

The most common-sense advice is to follow a healthy, well balanced diet, about which the healthcare professional can give information. This does not necessarily mean a reduced-calorie diet, unless the person wishes to lose weight (being overweight in itself is not believed to cause GORD) - rather that food should be chosen with care and certain foods that might worsen the symptoms should be avoided. Many people with GORD are aware of which foods or drinks tend to worsen their symptoms; common suspects include the following, although different people may have identified other items:

• fatty foods  
• fizzy drinks  
• alcohol
• coffee
• spices
• onions
• peppermint
• chocolate
• pepper
• tomatoes
• citrus fruits (e.g. oranges and lemons)

People with GORD should try not to eat shortly before bed-time and try to avoid lying down within two to three hours of eating. This is because, when a person is lying down, the oesophagus is horizontal and acid flows back out of the stomach much more easily without the effect of gravity. For the same reason, it may be useful to raise the head of the bed a little (e.g. 15-20 cms). This is best achieved by using something solid, for example a brick or two. Poor posture and frequent bending from the waist may also contribute towards worsening of the GORD symptoms.