When it comes to gastroesophageal reflux disease, many patients may not be familiar with it, as people are more familiar with gastroenterology diseases such as gastric ulcer, gastrointestinal bleeding or gastric cancer. It should be said that GERD is an emerging disease, a kind of functional disease. In the past, living conditions were poor and people had problems with eating and living, so they would go to the doctor only when they had serious diseases. It is getting more and more attention. Here are some common questions about GERD. First, what is GERD? “GERD is a condition in which reflux of stomach contents causes a series of uncomfortable symptoms and/or complications” is the definition of GERD in professional guidelines. It is actually the reflux of acid or alkali from the stomach into the esophagus and causes some corresponding abnormal sensations or esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus. It is important to note that the reflux is not necessarily all acid, but may also be alkaline. The most important ones are heartburn and acid reflux, and others include retrosternal discomfort, chest tightness, chest pain, burning sensation, throat discomfort, pharyngitis, foreign body sensation in the throat, chronic cough, and even recurrent otitis media, pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma have been reported in foreign countries as being related to GERD. So, now you understand why sometimes your doctor may diagnose GERD even though you don’t think you have reflux. So, how can GERD be treated? There are three main areas of treatment: lifestyle changes, medication and surgery. The most common question I get asked in the clinic is “Is there anything I should not eat or not eat? For some functional diseases, lifestyle changes and diet control do play an important role. It is now believed that obese patients and smokers are more likely to get GERD, so it is beneficial to lose weight, quit smoking, and sleep with the head of the bed elevated. It used to be thought that chocolate, coffee, alcohol, acid and spicy foods would aggravate reflux, but now it is not required to be so strictly restricted, and it can be based on personal experience, so if you feel that your symptoms will worsen after eating these foods, then don’t eat them. In addition, there is another very important factor, which is psycho-psychological factors. High work stress, mental tension, depression, anxiety, and excessive concern for one’s health may aggravate GERD. As a medical worker with a super intense job, I myself am a GERD patient, and I am surrounded by a large group of physician patients. Therefore, reducing work stress, reasonable control of emotions, maintaining a good state of mind and relaxing oneself appropriately can all be very helpful to the disease. Some patients even need the assistance of some medications to regulate their mental emotions. The most frequently asked questions about medication are “can I be cured” and “what if the medication is effective when I take it but not when I stop? It is important to explain and emphasize that GERD is a disease that is prone to recurrence, and once the diagnosis is made, it should be treated with a full dose of medication for 8 weeks. After that, it depends on the situation of each patient. Some patients may not be able to stop the medication and have to take it all the time, while some patients can reduce the dosage appropriately, while some patients can take the medication every other day, and some patients can take the medication once the attack occurs and stop it when it is under control, all of which is possible. With regard to surgical treatment, I would like to emphasize that you should not think that if you are not well on medication, you will be better off with surgery. Usually, surgery is recommended only if the patient’s medication is effective and does not want to take medication for a long time. That’s all I can think of today, thanks for your patience.