Heartburn is the most common acid reflux disease symptom plaguing more than 60 million Americans today and countless more around the world. However, although commonly associated with acid reflux, manifestations of heartburn every now and then do not always result in a GERD diagnosis. At times, it could just be caused by bad habits, which if corrected can relieve its manifestations. On the other hand, it could also be the result of a physical cause, which requires greater medical attention, especially if it's an acid reflux disease symptom.
When is Heartburn an Acid Reflux Disease Symptom?
Since people can suffer from heartburn without having GERD, it is necessary for patients to assess the severity of heartburn and determine if it is really an acid reflux disease symptom or a manifestation of some other condition. In this respect, there are three things heartburn patients can consider to determine the severity of their condition. These are the length of time at which each heartburn episode lasts, its frequency, and the intensity of the sensations experienced with each episode.
Length of Time. Heartburn incidents can last between a few minutes in mild cases to several hours in severe cases. For most people experiencing mild heartburns, the incident is often caused by a simple case of overeating or too much consumption of spicy food; such that the condition usually disappears after taking a few antacids and giving the stomach time to digest. In these cases, heartburn is rarely considered an acid reflux disease symptom. However, if the heartburn incident persists even after taking medication, the patient can be suffering from acid reflux disease and should consult a physician immediately.
Frequency. Heartburn is a condition experienced by a majority of populations in most Western countries. For 44% of the population, experiencing heartburn episodes once a month is still considered mild and should not be cause for alarm. For those who experience it about once a week, caution in their daily eating habits is necessary since they are suffering from moderate heartburn. The problem however lies within 20% of the population who suffer from heartburn at least twice a week. Under these circumstances the heartburn episodes are already considered chronic, indicating a manifestation of acid reflux disease symptom.
Intensity. Among the heartburn episodes considered to be an acid reflux disease symptom, the patients suffering from the condition usually experience worse conditions that are accompanied by weight loss, blood loss, and food sticking to the throat. If the person suffering from heartburn also tastes a sour acid at the back of the throat, the possibility of heartburn being an acid reflux disease symptom becomes more probable.
Acid Reflux Disease Symptom: Managing Heartburn
If you're suffering from heartburn, here are simple tips to help you control this acid reflux disease symptom:
1. Watch your diet. Keep track of what you eat and avoid the foods that trigger your heartburn.
2. Avoid large meals. Eat smaller more frequent meals to improve digestion and decrease acid secretion.
3. Quit bad habits. Excessive smoking and excessive drinking only exacerbates heartburn and should be avoided as much as possible.
4. Take a breather. Find ways to relieve yourself of stress because it can upset your stomach and trigger heartburn.
5. Lose weight. Being overweight can puts strain in your abdominal muscles and makes it more difficult to digest food.
6. Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes. Clothes that are tight on your waist can squeeze your stomach and force food up you esophagus.
Anybody at any age can get acid reflux disease symptoms. There are some people, however, that won't be able to notice these symptoms until these become very severe. If you think you have the condition, take note that symptoms vary from mild to severe. When your body experiences an acid reflux disease symptom, you may not be aware of it until you take some tests. Let's talk about the varying degrees of symptoms and diagnosis of acid reflux disease.
Common Symptoms
A heartburn is one tell-tale sign of acid reflux. Heartburn is characterized by a burning sensation in the middle area of the chest behind the breastbone. Sufferers may experience some pain or discomfort as the sensation travels from the upper abdomen to the neck. This experience often worsens after eating or when lying down/bending over. Although heartburn is a common symptom of acid reflux, not all sufferers of this condition have it.
Signs Of Progression
If your acid reflux condition has progressed, the heartburn symptom can last up to 2 hours and the pain can be very sharp and persistent. Bitter acid may travel into the throat while you are sleeping and you may occasionally have a bitter taste in the mouth. You may then wake up with a very hoarse voice and experience persistent dry cough. Furthermore, you may start to wheeze or feel a certain tightness in your throat as though something is stuck inside. In children, symptoms include persistent cough and repeated vomiting.
Complications
In most instances, you will only realize the gravity of the condition after you have undergone screening and diagnosis. This is especially true in the case of reflux esophagitis, where the inner lining of the esophagus is severely damaged. Ulcers and scarring may develop, making it hard to swallow food and/or liquids. People who have reflux esophagitis have a somewhat increased risk of cancer of the esophagus.
If treated too lated, complications may occur over time. You may develop severe inflammation in the esophagus and stricture (severe narrowing of the esophagus). Problems may even reach the teeth and air passageways of the lungs. In other cases, underlying muscular abnormalities may develop and symptoms may persist even after treatment. Older individuals are more susceptible to these complications, especially if they've had acid reflux disease before.
Here are some complications that may occur due to acid reflux disease:
These symptoms can be chronic and for some people, it can also be temporary. It may last for weeks, months or even years and may come back after treatment. Because the duration of symptoms varies greatly, we can never be too sure if we have a mild or severe case of acid reflux. The only way to be certain is to have a diagnosis. Tests often involve esophagoscopy, barium swallow, cardiac evaluation, esophageal manometry, and esophageal pH monitoring.
Any acid reflux disease symptom that's diagnosed to be severe or unresponsive to initial treatment is most likely to require one or more of the tests mentioned earlier. Before symptoms worsen, see your doctor to have a diagnosis even if your symptoms are mild.
Both Tom Houser & Richal Peyton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Tom Houser has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acid Reflux, Bankruptcy Law and Education. T. Houser . Tom Houser's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
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