Gastroesophageal reflux disease is prone to relapse within a short period of time if the drug is discontinued prematurely after achieving efficacy. Most scholars believe that the decrease in the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter is an important mechanism for the development and recurrence of the disease, and after premature discontinuation, the tone of this sphincter has not been fundamentally improved, so about 80% of cases relapse within 6 months. Therefore, long-term maintenance therapy is required in most cases. It is believed that the start of maintenance therapy should be after 8 weeks of regular drug treatment, so that not only the reflux symptoms have been completely controlled or disappeared, but also the inflammatory changes in the esophageal mucosa have been mostly repaired by gastroscopic review. The dose of acid suppressant in maintenance therapy is reduced to half of the therapeutic amount, and satisfactory results can usually be achieved. The duration of maintenance is not uniform and depends on the patient’s condition, but at least 4 weeks is needed, after which drug therapy should be restarted if symptoms recur. According to the consensus of scholars in the Asia-Pacific region, the goals of GERD treatment are: to control reflux symptoms, heal esophageal inflammation, maintain remission, improve quality of life and prevent complications. Lifestyle modification measures such as dietary changes, control of certain diets, control of tobacco and alcohol, weight loss, and elevation of the head of the bed at bedtime are the first step in the treatment of GERD and should be carried out throughout the treatment process. At present, in addition to western medicine, Chinese medicine has its unique efficacy on GERD. Most patients can generally improve their symptoms within a short period of time (1~2 weeks) after taking the medicine, and the disease can be basically controlled within 3~6 months. Especially for GERD, which is stubborn and difficult to treat, and for which western medicine is helpless, Chinese medicine can show its characteristics, not only reducing patients’ symptoms, but also regulating the whole body and avoiding the toxic side effects brought by long-term western medicine. Due to the specificity of the etiology of the disease, it is very difficult to cure the disease, and some patients need to take medicine again after relapse, and pay attention to control the triggering factors to reduce the symptoms. In summary, the treatment of GERD is a long-term process, and the duration of medication is also determined by individual circumstances. Patients should insist on taking the medication during the onset of the disease, and then stop or reduce the dosage after the disease is in remission, the symptoms improve and the general condition is stable. If the disease recurs, the patient should continue to take the medication until the symptoms improve.