What is the long-term outlook for me and my condition?

For many people who have heartburn it is a temporary problem that only needs a short course of treatment.

Others have symptoms from time to time and require treatment every so often. Only a small minority have persistent heartburn and oesophagitis, which may require continuous long-term drug treatment.

Rarely, severe inflammation may cause scarring in the gullet wall which may interfere with swallowing.

Ulcers tend to recur without treatment so now many doctors try to clear the H. pylori from the stomach using antibiotics with the aim of permanently curing the disease in the patient. If symptoms persist after eradication of H. pylori, ulcer-healing drugs can be taken either when the symptoms return or continuously to prevent a relapse.

It is important to cure ulcers or keep them under control to prevent complications such as bleeding or perforation. Because modern drug treatment is so effective for reflux and ulcer disease, surgery is hardly ever needed.