When heartburn keeps coming back, get clear answers.
Recurring heartburn, regurgitation, or nighttime reflux deserves more than guesswork. Dr. Colin Dunn helps patients understand the cause and the options that may fit.
Request a reflux evaluation
A few brief questions help our team direct your request. This form does not diagnose symptoms or replace urgent care.
Some symptoms need prompt medical care.
Seek urgent medical attention for chest pain with activity, trouble swallowing or choking, vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, red or black stools, or unexplained weight loss.
Heartburn is a symptom.
GERD is a diagnosis.
Heartburn is the burning feeling many people notice in the chest or throat. Regurgitation is the feeling that stomach contents are coming back up. Both may occur with reflux, but symptoms can overlap with other conditions.
A thoughtful evaluation looks beyond the label. It considers what you are feeling, when it happens, how it affects your life, and whether testing could make the treatment path clearer.
Is it time to stop managing symptoms and start understanding the cause?
A reflux evaluation may be useful when the pattern keeps returning, when medication does not feel like the whole answer, or when you want a clear view of the options.
Sleep is part of the problem
Heartburn, cough, throat symptoms, or regurgitation can be especially disruptive at night or when lying down.
The pattern keeps returning
Symptoms may come back when you change treatment, eat, bend over, travel, or move through a normal routine.
You want more than a guess
If you are unsure whether reflux is really the cause, a specialist can help identify what needs to be clarified.
You are exploring your options
An evaluation can help you understand the role of lifestyle changes, medication, testing, and procedures.
Testing can turn uncertainty into a plan.
Not everyone needs every test. When symptoms, history, or treatment decisions require more clarity, your care team may recommend one or more of the following studies.
Upper endoscopy
A camera exam that looks at the esophagus and stomach. It can help assess irritation, narrowing, a hiatal hernia, or other findings.
Reflux monitoring
A study that measures reflux events and acid exposure over time, sometimes including a wireless capsule placed during endoscopy when appropriate.
Esophageal manometry
A pressure study that checks how the esophagus moves. It may be part of planning before certain reflux procedures.
EndoFLIP
A measurement tool that can offer additional information about the esophagus and the area where it meets the stomach in selected situations.
There is more than one way to manage GERD.
The right plan depends on what an evaluation confirms. It may include daily habits, medication, treatment for a hiatal hernia, or a discussion of anti-reflux procedures for appropriate patients.
A procedure is never the automatic next step. Objective evaluation helps determine who may benefit.
Your first appointment is for answers.
Request an evaluation
Share your basic contact information and what you hope to understand.
Connect with the team
We explain the scheduling process and help you prepare for your visit.
Complete a personal evaluation
Your history, symptom pattern, and any prior testing are reviewed.
Leave with a clear plan
You understand the next reasonable step, whether that is testing, treatment, or follow-up.
Track the pattern before you make a decision.
The free Heartburn Relief Roadmap includes seven useful questions and a printable Seven-Day Reflux Pattern Tracker. It can help you notice what affects your symptoms and prepare for a more productive evaluation.
The Heartburn Relief Roadmap
Dr. Colin Dunn
Dr. Dunn leads a patient-centered surgical practice built around clear communication, precise evaluation, and treatment planning that reflects the individual person in front of him.
Common questions about heartburn and reflux.
These answers can help you prepare for a more useful conversation with a care team. They do not replace an individual medical evaluation.
Not always. Heartburn is a symptom, while GERD is a diagnosis based on the pattern of symptoms and, when needed, objective evaluation. Occasional heartburn and recurring reflux can have different next steps.
A reflux evaluation may be helpful when heartburn or regurgitation keeps returning, affects sleep or daily routine, continues despite treatment, or when you want to understand whether a procedural option might be appropriate.
Not everyone needs the same testing. Depending on your symptoms and history, your team may discuss upper endoscopy, reflux monitoring, manometry, or other studies to clarify the cause of symptoms and guide treatment.
Reflux monitoring measures reflux episodes and acid exposure over time while you go about normal daily activities. It can help confirm whether reflux is contributing to symptoms when more information is needed.
Yes. Lifestyle changes and medication can play an important role in reflux care. The right use, dose, and duration should be discussed with the clinician managing your care.
No. A consultation is a chance to understand the diagnosis and options. If GERD is confirmed and a procedure is appropriate, your team can discuss it. Many patients may have nonprocedural options.
Do not let recurring heartburn stay unclear.
If reflux is affecting sleep, meals, work, travel, or peace of mind, start with a private conversation about what may be causing it and what could help.