Track your heartburn and reflux
Acid reflux and heartburn can cause persistent discomfort and even respiratory issues if left unmanaged. Finding your 'trigger foods' and habits is the most effective way to manage symptoms.
Why track this symptom?
- Identify lifestyle triggers like late-night eating or specific beverages.
- Track the frequency of nighttime reflux vs. daytime heartburn.
- Monitor the effectiveness of antacids or PPI medications.
How Trace Health helps
Trace Health focuses on the recurrence. By logging every reflux event, you build a data-backed history that helps you make informed lifestyle adjustments to prevent future pain.
Common causes
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach acid regularly backs up into the esophagus due to a weakened lower esophageal sphincter. Common triggers include spicy foods, citrus, tomatoes, chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol, which either increase acid production or relax the sphincter muscle. Eating large meals, lying down within three hours of eating, and being overweight increase abdominal pressure that forces acid upward. Pregnancy, hiatal hernia, and certain medications like aspirin also commonly cause reflux symptoms.
When to see a doctor
Seek immediate care if heartburn comes with chest pain that radiates to your arm or jaw, severe difficulty swallowing, or persistent vomiting. See your doctor if you experience chronic hoarseness, persistent cough, or symptoms that wake you from sleep regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I log when tracking heartburn?
Record what you ate and drank before the episode, timing relative to meals, body position (lying down often worsens it), severity, what helped relieve it, and any medications taken. Track nighttime episodes separately.
How can a heartburn diary improve treatment?
Tracking reveals your personal triggers, whether specific foods, large meals, eating late, or lying down too soon after eating. This data helps your doctor determine if lifestyle changes suffice or if medication or further testing is needed.
When should I see a doctor about heartburn?
See a doctor if heartburn occurs more than twice a week, does not respond to over-the-counter antacids, comes with difficulty swallowing, or is accompanied by unexplained weight loss. Your tracking data helps your doctor decide if endoscopy is warranted.
Should I track the specific foods I eat before heartburn episodes?
Absolutely, log specific foods and portion sizes consumed in the 2-4 hours before symptoms start. Include cooking methods, sauces, and beverages, as these details help identify your personal trigger foods. Many people discover surprising triggers like peppermint, onions, or even seemingly healthy foods like oranges.
How can I use my heartburn data to communicate effectively with my doctor?
Summarize your weekly episode frequency and identify your top 3-5 trigger foods or situations from your tracking data before your appointment. Note if symptoms are getting worse, better, or changing in character, and mention any new symptoms like difficulty swallowing or chronic cough that appear in your logs.
Your health data stays on your iPhone.
No account. Private. No personal information is ever requested. Your health data stays on your iPhone by default. A backup option to your private iCloud is available. Trace Health never collects or sells your health data.
What people say
Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 45+ ratings on the App Store.
- “Out of all the symptom tracker apps, I found this to be the easiest and most straightforward. It “writes” to the health app, which is exactly what I wanted. All the others only “read” parts of the health app data, and didn’t truly write any data back. This helps me visualize my chronic symptoms soooo well.” (EB1700, United States)
- “I’m not really into tracking mood and habits but this app has shown me the benefit of doing so and has helped me reflect on my day to help find the positives and see where I can improve.” (GavinLanoe, United Kingdom)
Read the complete guide: How to Track Heartburn / Reflux: A Complete Guide →