We have all heard of heartburn and at one time or another experienced heartburn for ourselves. Heartburn is that burning that starts just behind our breastbone a few hours after we have eaten, and occurs when the digested food juices that are mixed with the stomach acids ends up, back in the esophagus. Heartburn is sometimes an indicator of GERD, therefore can be a precursor to GERD symptoms.
The medical term GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you are suffering from GERD your stomach acid is refluxed into the esophagus a repeated number of times. This repeated acid reflux causes damage to the esophagus, which is the tube connecting the mouth with the stomach. Once the fine lining of the tube has been damaged GERD can become a life long disease.
What are the symptoms of GERD?
There are symptoms that indicate whether you are suffering from GERD or another digestive disorder. Reading further you will find a detailed description of GERD symptoms.
- persistent heartburn and acid regurgitation
There are certain foods which induce the pains of heartburn. These include tomatoes, citruses and chocolates and should therefore be avoided. Even drinking teas, coffee and alcoholic beverages can make your heartburn symptoms felt.
There are other symptoms of heartburn. You might feel a burning in the throat which causes swallowing to be difficult. Or you may experience the taste of bile in your mouth. Also chronic coughing is considered a heartburn symptom.
These are the main symptoms of heartburn, but not all symptoms of GERD will be the same. Other GERD symptoms are the following:
- pain felt in the chest
- hoarseness, especially in the morning
- chocking sensations felt in your throat
- bad breath
- persistent dry cough
- difficulty of swallowing salvia
- uncomfortable fellings in your throat as if you would have some food stuck in your throat even though you had your meal several hours before
Some people might only experience one or two of these symptoms while others might suffer from all of them. A simple doctor's visit will answer your questions about GERD, and GERD symptoms. There are different treatments that you can undergo to prevent or decrease GERD which you can all find out about at your doctor.