GERD

Symptoms of GERD

In this article, you will find out what the symptoms of GERD (Gastroesphageal Reflux Disease) are, including both short-term and long-term symptoms.

What Is GERD?

GERD is the medical term for what amounts to frequent acid reflux, or heartburn. This term has been gaining popularity of late for two reasons: rates of reflux have increased and strong links between regular reflux and esophageal damage and cancer have been identified.

In essence, heartburn sounds quite benign whereas GERD sounds serious to the average person; the term GERD helps people recognize that having chronic acid reflux is not a normal condition and can lead to some devastating side effects.

Short-Term GERD Symptoms

GERD is, by definition, the frequent occurrence of reflux. The symptoms of acid reflux are:

• A burning pain in the chest

• Burping, especially belching up small amounts of food or a bitter or sour liquid

Long-Term Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptoms

After experiencing reflux regularly, some more serious symptoms of GERD may develop, including:

• Difficulty swallowing

• A “tight” feeling in the throat, as if something is stuck in the throat (perhaps caused by an esophageal stricture or damage to the lining of the esophagus)

• Dry, chronic cough, which is often confused for asthma or allergies

• Sore throat, especially in the morning. A chronic dry cough and sore throat that never seems to improve can indicate long periods of nighttime reflux.

These two symptoms often develop after experiencing acid reflux for an extended period of time (i.e. several times per week for a few months or longer). These two symptoms of GERD are signs of the long-term consequences of reflux.

Effects of GERD Symptoms

If GERD is left untreated, esophageal damage may result given the repeated exposure of the sensitive tissue to stomach acid. This can result in:

• Barrett’s Esophagus – Barrett’s Esophagus has no symptoms; this condition is where the cells of the bottom portion of the esophagus change to become like the cells in the stomach. This reduces the damage they take from stomach acid exposure. The problem with this is that this mutation significantly increases the risk of these cells become cancerous in the future.

• Esophageal Adenocarcinoma – this esophageal cancer is highly linked to both Barrett’s Esophagus and GERD. It is rare but a very serious condition.

When to See a Doctor

If you experience acid reflux or heartburn symptoms regularly, you will want to talk to your doctor.

While all doctors are different, most doctors will consider acid reflux occurring twice a week or more to warrant medical intervention, regardless of whether or not you have more serious GERD symptoms. There is no need to wait for you to develop difficulty swallowing (or worse) if it could be prevented in the first place.

Symptoms of GERD Conclusion

The hallmark symptom of GERD is experiencing heartburn two or more times per week. Acid reflux occurring this frequently should be reported to your doctor. If left untreated, GERD may lead to difficulty swallowing, esophageal damage, and even cancer.

While not adequate as a stand-alone treatment for GERD symptoms, be sure to check out these simple heartburn remedies can help reduce the discomfort associated with reflux and offer mild protection to the esophagus.

Acid Reflux Disease

Over the past several decades, acid reflux disease, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has become an increasingly common disorder.

In this article, I will go over what this disease is, why these rates are increasing, what typical treatments are, and cover a few home remedies that can often bring instant relief.

What Is Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease simply refers to frequent or chronic reflux. Reflux refers the phenomenon where fluid from the stomach leaves the stomach and enters the esophagus. Reflux can be stomach acid or even contain digestive enzymes and food.

The term acid reflux disease has fallen out of favor (at least in North America) and is being replaced by the term GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), in part because some people with reflux may not actually experience “heartburn”.

What are the symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease?

The symptoms of acid reflux disease include:

• Burning pain in the chest, directly behind the breastbone (i.e. heartburn)

• Burping up previously eaten food or vomitus coincident with an acidic taste (sour or bitter)

• Increases after a large meal, especially when lying down or bending over

• Difficulty swallowing or the feeling that something is caught in the throat (these symptoms are the long-term results of acid reflux disease)

Over time, acid reflux disease can damage the esophagus. Long-term exposure to this can cause difficulty swallowing as mentioned above. Acid reflux disease can even cause esophageal cancer overtime if left unchecked.

Why Rates are Increasing

Acid reflux disease is rapidly increasing in the modern world. This is because two of the major risk factors for developing GERD are being overweight and eating large meals, both of which are becoming increasingly common in industrialized nations. As a result, acid reflux disease is becoming more common.

Fortunately, acid reflux disease can be eliminated or reduced simply by making a few lifestyle changes:

• Weight loss (if overweight)

• Reducing meal size (spread out food)

• Do not drink alcohol or use tobacco products or caffeine.

• Do not eat right before bed

While these strategies are simple, it can be quite difficult to make the lifestyle change necessary. The benefits of good health in the long-term will far outweigh the short term pleasures of our personal vices, but it can be difficult to realize this.

Acid Reflux Disease Remedies

The two heartburn remedies offered on our homepage (chewing gum and drinking a spoonful of vinegar) can be quite effective for reducing acid reflux as it strikes. These two remedies promote the release of saliva which can naturally improve digestion and protect the esophagus from stomach acid.

Acid Reflux Disease Treatment

If a person fails to make lifestyle changes and continues to experience regular acid reflux, typically an H-2 blocker or a proton-pump inhibitor will be prescribed by a doctor.

While these drugs are excellent for the treatment of ulcers, they do have their downsides. Many report that H-2 Blockers are not effective for long-term usage and proton-pump inhibitors have a smorgasbord of side effects (see our heartburn treatment article for a list of side effects and supporting scientific research).

In the long run, the best way to treat heartburn is to make lifestyle changes and only use medication on an as needed basis.

Severe Heartburn

Heartburn, a common occurrence, transcends being a nuisance and becomes a real problem in the case of severe heartburn. In this article, you will learn a few simple yet effective heartburn remedies, a serious condition that mimics extreme heartburn, and treatment options should remedies and lifestyle changes not work..

Severe Heartburn Causes

Severe heartburn can be caused by a variety of things of factors, however, the following are the most likely culprits:

• Alcohol Consumption. Even a few drinks can cause heartburn. Binge drinking is a common cause of extreme heartburn and it is not unusual to experience bad heartburn all day after a night of drinking at the bar.

• Overeating and Trigger Foods. Overeating can be enough to cause heartburn, especially if the foods are fatty and spicy. Additionally, most people have a few certain “trigger foods” which are guaranteed to cause heartburn (different people have different trigger foods). Combining overeating and a trigger food is a recipe for bad heartburn.

• Gastritis – Any sort of inflammation in the stomach which could be caused from anything from the “stomach flu”, to H pylori to a more serious condition can help facilitate heartburn, especially when combined with one of the factors above.

More rarely, certain genetic predispositions or conditions can exist which cause the stomach to produce excess stomach acid and can lead to regular occurrences of severe heartburn.

Consequences of Extreme Heartburn

If you experience heartburn more than once a week on a regular basis, schedule an appointment with your doctor as this may be a sign of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

If left untreated, GERD can lead to Barrett’s Esophagus, which increases the likelihood of contracting esophageal cancer. This can be the case even if the heartburn is mild.

Extreme Heartburn Remedies

Our top two heartburn remedies, chewing gum (non-peppermint) and drinking a teaspoon of vinegar can often remedy even the most severe heartburn case. You will be amazed by how much your heartburn symptoms will subside after taking a spoonful of vinegar and chewing gum for just 5-10 minutes.

Additionally, try putting on some loose-fitting clothes, and avoid laying down. If it is at night, be sure to elevate the head of your bed by 6 inches. If it is during the day, try going for a walk, which is also another simple yet effective heartburn remedy.

Severe Heartburn or a Heart Attack?

Frequently, bad heartburn and angina (chest pain that is a warning sign of a heart attack) are confused. Both are pains around the heart but there are some significant differences:

• Angina is typically described as a “squeezing”, gnawing pain, whereas heartburn is a burning sensation.

• Angina frequently spreads to the shoulders, arms, and neck (particularly on the left side), whereas even extreme heartburn stays centralized on the midline of the body.

• Sufferers of angina sometimes report an “uneasy” feeling and can break out in a cold sweat. This does not happen with heartburn.

• Severe heartburn gets worse when laying down or bending forward; angina typically does not significantly change based on body position.

• Bad heartburn is typically accompanied by burping and an accompanying bitter or acidic taste, whereas angina is not.

If there is ever any doubt or you are experiencing symptoms of angina or heart attack, call emergency medical services without delay. Angina is a symptoms of ischemia which can progress into a full heart-attack if left untreated.