Heartburn

Preparing For Your Appointment

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:

• What are your main symptoms? Report any symptoms, such as abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits, or vomiting.
• How long have you had heartburn?
• Have you had this problem before? If so, do you know what caused the problem at that time? How was it treated? How did you respond to that treatment?
• Have you had any signs of bleeding from your digestive system?
• Have you had any difficulty swallowing when you eat or drink?
• How much tobacco do you use? How much alcohol do you drink? How much caffeine do you drink?
• Has your weight increased or decreased more than 5 lb (2 kg) recently?
• Have there been any changes in your diet? Are you eating certain foods more often?
• Have there been changes in your daily schedule, such as when you eat and when you go to bed?
• Are you taking any nonprescription or prescription medicines? Bring a list of all the medicines you are taking to your appointment.
• What home treatment measures have you tried? Did they help? Be sure to include lifestyle changes you have made.
• What nonprescription medicines have you taken or used to treat your heartburn? Did they help?
• Do you have any health risks?

It will be easier to make lifestyle changes if your family understands the reasons for the changes. Take a friend or family member to the appointment with you, and discuss diet and sleeping habits with your doctor.

Remember to take your heartburn symptom record(What is a PDF document?) to your doctor visit. Be sure to note any lifestyle changes you have made or nonprescription medicines you use.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: September 6, 2007
Medical Review:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
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