GERD

What are some lifestyle modifications that may be recommended to patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease?

Lifestyle modifications that may be beneficial to patients with gastrointestinal reflux disease include dietary changes, if there are obvious dietary precipitants, (coffee, chocolate, or fatty foods), reduction of obesity, smoking, and excessive alcohol use, avoidance of eating within 3 hours of bedtime, elevation of head of bed, and eating smaller more frequent meals. However, lifestyle changes are often insufficient to eliminate symptoms and recommendation for use of a proton-pump inhibitor is usually the first line of therapy.