Who is most at risk of GORD?

The following factors may increase your risk of developing GORD:

  • Being overweight or Obesity this can place increased pressure on your stomach and weaken the muscles at the bottom of the oesophagus
  • Eating large amounts of fatty foods  the stomach takes longer to get rid of stomach acid after digesting a fatty meal and the resulting excess acid may leak up into the oesophagus
  • Smoking, alcohol, coffee or chocolate these may relax the muscles at the bottom of the oesophagus
  • Pregnancy temporary changes in hormone levelsand increased pressure on your stomach during pregnancy can cause GORD (read more about heartburn in pregnancy )
  • Hiatus hernia   when part of your stomach pushes up through your diaphragm (thin sheet of muscle between the chest and tummy)
  • Gastroparesis when the stomach takes longer toget ridof stomach acid, which meansexcess acid can leak up into the oesophagus
  • Certain medicines some medicines can cause GORD or make the symptoms worse, including calcium-channel blockers (used to treat high blood pressure ), nitrates (used to treat  angina ) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Stress

GORD can sometimes affect several members of the same family and it's been suggested that the genes you inherit from your parents may also affect your chances of developing the condition.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 19 Jan 2018