Gerd Symptoms

Everyone has heard of heartburn and at one time or another experienced heartburn themselves. Heartburn is that burning that starts just behind our breastbone a few hours after we have finished a meal 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 on a frequent basis. 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 disease that you have to deal with your entire life.

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

Having a burning sensation in the chest behind your breastbone right after eating is a symptom of heartburn itself. This heartburn pain can last a few minutes or even several hours. There might also be a sour or bitter taste in your mouth. A lot of heartburn patients additionally suffer from a loss of voice for no obvious reason. Generally the signs of heartburn increase after you have finished a meal.

Misdiagnoses is also a problem if it comes to heartburn, as its symptoms are on a regular basis confused with the symptoms of a heart attack. 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 you experience heartburn symptoms.

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 feelings 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 experience only one or two of these symptoms while others might suffer from a whole bunch of them. A simple doctor’s visit will answer your questions about GERD, and GERD symptoms. There are different treatments available that you can choose to prevent or decrease GERD which you can all find out about at your doctor.