Heartburn can last for a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the cause. If heartburn is due to something you ate, you will probably have symptoms until the food has been digested. Lying down or bending over can cause symptoms to return even after you’ve started to feel better.
Heartburn is commonly treated with over-the-counter medications such as antacids.
How Long Heartburn Lasts
How longheartburnlasts depends on the underlying cause. It may go away in a few minutes or it may take a few hours. Some of the things that can cause heartburn include:
Your heartburn may also get worse when you lie down or bend over. This lets gravity pull the acid from your stomach. This is why symptoms often awaken a person during the night, while sleeping.
Symptoms of Heartburn
Severity of Heartburn
If you have heartburn due toGERD, it’s important to understand that GERD is a progressive disease involving several stages from mild to severe (including a cancerous or precancerous stage). The severity and frequency of the four stages include:
Stage 1: Mild GERD
Mild heartburn and other symptoms are experienced as infrequently as once or twice each month. Over-the-counter medications are effective enough to control symptoms.
Stage 2: Moderate GERD
Heartburn and other symptoms of GERD occur more frequently (such as once every week). When untreated, they interfere with a person’s daily activities and cause inflammation of the esophagus. Prescription medications are required.
Stage 3: Severe GERD
Stage 4: Reflux-induced precancerous lesions or esophageal cancer
When to See a Doctor
Untreated heartburn could even lead to serious conditions such asBarrett’s esophagus—a rare condition that can develop in the setting of long-standing GERD—which could be a precursor to cancer. It’s important to seek a consultation with a healthcare provider when experiencing the following:
Treatment
Depending on the severity of your heartburn symptoms,medications and levels of treatmentvary.
Over-the-Counter Treatment
Over-the-counter treatment for heartburn includes:
Antacid WarningAvoid taking antacids if you have any symptoms ofappendicitisorinflammatory bowel disease(IBD). Some antacids are contraindicated when a person has these conditions.
Antacid Warning
Avoid taking antacids if you have any symptoms ofappendicitisorinflammatory bowel disease(IBD). Some antacids are contraindicated when a person has these conditions.
Prescription Medication
Common prescription medications for heartburn includeproton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole (Prilosec) and lansoprazole (Prevacid). Most people who have GERD need to take PPIs because over-the-counter medications are ineffective.
It’s important to understand that PPIs have may have some risks. The safety of PPIs has been linked with the dosage and duration of administration.
Some experts report that PPIs are usually considered safe if taking the lowest dosage possible for a short period. However, the potential risks of PPI therapy need to be weighed against the risks of untreated GERD.
Side Effects of Proton Pump Inhibitors
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle habits often play an integral role in the development as well as the severity of heartburn. Factors that can contribute to conditions known to be linked with heartburn (such as hiatal hernia or GERD) include:
Why Do I Have Heartburn?
A Word From Verywell
Heartburn can happen to anyone and is generally not cause for concern. If you find yourself experiencingprolonged heartburn, speak with your healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause so you can work toward getting some relief.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Heartburn.Harvard Health.What does heartburn feel like?Houston Heartburn and Reflux Center.4 stages of GERD.MedlinePlus.Taking antacids.Abbas MK, Zaidi ARZ, Robert CA, Thiha S, Malik BH.The safety of long-term daily usage of a proton pump inhibitor: a literature review.Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.5563
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Heartburn.Harvard Health.What does heartburn feel like?Houston Heartburn and Reflux Center.4 stages of GERD.MedlinePlus.Taking antacids.Abbas MK, Zaidi ARZ, Robert CA, Thiha S, Malik BH.The safety of long-term daily usage of a proton pump inhibitor: a literature review.Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.5563
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cleveland Clinic.Heartburn.Harvard Health.What does heartburn feel like?Houston Heartburn and Reflux Center.4 stages of GERD.MedlinePlus.Taking antacids.Abbas MK, Zaidi ARZ, Robert CA, Thiha S, Malik BH.The safety of long-term daily usage of a proton pump inhibitor: a literature review.Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.5563
Cleveland Clinic.Heartburn.
Harvard Health.What does heartburn feel like?
Houston Heartburn and Reflux Center.4 stages of GERD.
MedlinePlus.Taking antacids.
Abbas MK, Zaidi ARZ, Robert CA, Thiha S, Malik BH.The safety of long-term daily usage of a proton pump inhibitor: a literature review.Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.5563
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