What exactly is heartburn? It is a burning sensation that begins in the stomach and radiates into the chest and throat. Heartburn is most likely to occur when you have done one of the following activities: lifting, lying down on your back, after you have eaten a heavy meal or bending over. Heartburn can also mimic a heart attack. When a person is having a very bad case of heartburn, it is hard to decipher whether a person is actually having a heart attack or is just suffering from heartburn. It is better to have the condition checked out just to be on the safe side.
Another common symptom is regurgitation. This is a feeling that you have when acid backs up into your throat. In some cases, acid can regurgitate up into the mouth. This is called a "wet burp". In rare cases, acid regurgitation can cause vomiting.
Those people who frequently experience acid reflux symptoms at night usually experience more severe symptoms that people who suffer with it during the day. However, most people experience their symptoms during the night. When you continually experience such symptoms, it can mean that you have a damaged esophagus. Therefore, it would be a good idea to consult your doctor about this problem. Having severe heartburn does not necessarily mean that you have a damaged esophagus. However, it is still better to get the problem checked out.
There are other GERD symptoms that are less common. One symptom is chest pain or chest sensations. One may feel that food is trapped somewhere behind the breastbone.
Other less common symptom is throat irritations which include hoarseness, dry cough, or the feeling that there is always a lump in your throat resulting in you always having to clear your throat. In rare instances, a person may have difficulty swallowing their food which, as a result, would cause severe chest pain. It can feel as if the food is stuck in the esophagus. Other acid reflux symptoms include chronic sore throat and constant hiccups.
Some people have acid reflux symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. A person who experiences constant nausea for a period of weeks at a time and is not associated with a particular cause of stomach upset may be suffering from acid reflux symptoms. Vomiting may be a daily occurrence. However, before determining that the cause of such symptoms is acid reflux disease, other causes of chronic nausea and vomiting must first be ruled out.
There is also a condition which is called Barrett's Esophagus. It can cause a change to the lining of one's esophagus due to repeated acid reflux occurrences. About 10% of these cases will turn into esophageal cancer. If you happen to suffer from Barrett's Esophagus, then you must undergo regular examinations, and you should be receiving treatment for your acid reflux.
Reflux Symptoms In Children
Acid reflux disease, also known as GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) is an established condition for many residents of developed countries. 20% or more of the whole population of developed countries has to endure some of the typical symptoms of acid reflux at least once per week. Only a few people suspect their medical condition and the unpleasant dangers, yet well-being and quality of life is negatively impacted for most acid reflux patients.
It is essential to know how to recognize the symptoms for fast diagnosis and cure, because acid reflux can result in a high level of discomfort and serious complications for patients. Acid reflux diagnostics made using typical acid reflux symptoms observed are accurate to 70%. The majority of physicians and medical paraprofessionals agree that the first diagnosis of acid reflux, for the most part using a questionnaire on typical symptoms, is essential for treating this condition in the quickest and most effective way.
Painful and unpleasant, the most noticeable symptom of gastro esophageal reflux disease manifests itself in the area of the esophagus as a persistent burning sensation. Other typical symptoms of GERD are:
1. Dysphagia, meaning problems in swallowing or the sensation as if food were stuck in the throat.
2. Odynophagia, meaning pain when swallowing.
3. Gastric matter leading to complications in breathing in certain situations, because of regurgitation of gastric contents, in other words the uncontrolled backwards flux of stomach or esophageal contents into the throat.
About 50% of all sufferers from gastro esophageal reflux disease also note that they get concurrent sinonasal symptoms (meaning symptoms manifesting themselves in the sinuses and the nose), as well as the symptoms above.
Intense chest pain may be felt, not unlike that of a myocardial infarction and can mistakenly be construed as a heart attack. Unlike the symptoms of GERD however, cardiovascular chest pain is usually heightened by physical exercise. Abnormal symptoms concerning acid reflux include chest pain that is spasmodic but non-cardiac, chronic wheezing and coughing (also known as acid reflux related asthma, the result of stomach or esophagus content being sucked into the area of the lungs), and lung damage, with concomitant breathing ailments such as asthma and pneumonia.
Further problems can affect the teeth (decay of the enamel) and the ears (otitis media) as well as damage to the vocal cords (hoarseness, laryngitis, cancer).
Moreover, neglect of an acid reflux condition can mean high physical discomfort with the possibility of recurring conditions that can put your health in danger, such as pneumonia and esophageal cancer. GERD symptoms can also indicate a serious general lack of internal balance. The ability to see those symptoms as relating to acid reflux is critical to your health and well being in general as well as for avoiding potential complications.
When one or several of the acid reflux symptoms above has been identified, an appointment should be made with a certified physician for a full checkup. Luckily, anyone can identify typical acid reflux symptoms on his or her own, and thus justify an appointment to see the family physician. While a professional doctor can diagnose correctly initially and often proposes relief as drugs and antacids, remember that medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter, only treats the surface aspects of your acid reflux situation. In addition, some drugs like antacids result in various secondary effects. The cures for the problem that is at the root of the gastro esophageal reflux disease, to finally remedy the issue much more effectively, safely and for the long-term will come from a holistic approach that treats the internal causes that are behind acid reflux in the first place.
Both Lee Dobbins & Jeff W. Martin 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.
Lee Dobbins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, Diamonds and Install Flooring. For the latest on acid reflux, visit where you can learn about more. Lee Dobbins's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.
Jeff W. Martin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acid Reflux, Anger Control and Acid Reflux. Jeff Martin is a medical researcher, health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book
