Track your heartburn patterns, not guess them

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which stomach acid regularly flows back into the esophagus, causing troublesome symptoms like heartburn or regurgitation. Most people experience occasional reflux, but GERD involves frequent or disruptive episodes. Only a gastroenterologist can diagnose GERD through clinical assessment or testing (such as pH monitoring or endoscopy); Sam cannot perform that diagnosis.

Common triggers include eating large or fatty meals, eating close to bedtime, lying down shortly after eating, obesity, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and certain medications. Triggers differ from person to person. A symptom diary linking your meals, timing, and behaviors to heartburn episodes, combined with Apple Health data on sleep, stress, and activity, helps you identify your personal triggers.

Many people find relief through lifestyle changes: elevating the head of the bed, avoiding meals 2-3 hours before lying down, identifying and avoiding personal trigger foods, weight management if relevant, and reducing alcohol and caffeine. However, whether medication is needed depends on your individual case and should be discussed with a gastroenterologist or your primary care doctor, who can assess your symptoms and any complications.

GERD rarely causes serious complications in most people. Untreated cases can occasionally progress to erosion of the esophageal lining, strictures, or Barrett's esophagus, especially in severe cases or when other factors are present. Talk to a gastroenterologist if symptoms persist, worsen, or significantly disrupt your life. Your doctor can rule out complications and plan appropriate long-term management.

No. No consumer wearable, including those paired with Sam, can measure stomach acid levels or pH. Sam cannot automatically detect or predict heartburn episodes; these depend on your own awareness and logging. What Sam does do is compile your Apple Health data (sleep, stress, activity, alcohol) and show it alongside your logged episodes, helping you and your doctor spot patterns.

A diary linking specific foods and meal times to heartburn episodes is a standard tool clinicians use to identify your personal triggers. Sam's GERD episode log lets you record each episode along with food tags, circumstance tags, and whether it happened at night, right alongside your Apple Health data on sleep, stress, and activity. After 5 or more logged episodes, Sam also shows a personal trigger map of your tags, not a verdict on any food, just a mirror of what you've logged.