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Showing posts with label heartburn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heartburn. Show all posts

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Common Symptoms Experienced By A GERD Patient

Worst Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease is a condition which is common to elder people, overweight, and those with unhealthy and stressful lifestyle. The symptoms of acid reflux disease at first serves as warning signs, but later on it aggravates to its severe form and would need intensive intervention.

Gastroesophageal Regurgitation Disease (GERD) is the severe form of acid reflux disorder, and this is manifested by heart burn, which can be felt due to the acid that comes back to the esophagus from the stomach. There are certain reasons why this is happening and one of this is the weakening of the esophageal sphincter muscle which can later on lead to esophageal cancer.

Common symptoms experienced by people suffering from GERD are:


  • chest or stomach discomfort which can be described as a burning sensation.
  • dyspepsia which happens after eating, bending down, or lying down flat.
  • chest and stomach pain after consuming a large heavy meal or foods that are high in fat content and beverages with alcohol content.
  • burping, this is known as a hallmark sign of acid reflux. There are also nausea and feeling of being bloat in the stomach.
  • coughing, difficulty of breathing and swallowing can also appear on worst cases.

There are other serious symptoms of acid reflux disease which the person needs to seek immediate medical assistance. Severe GERD can lead to stricture of esophagus that results to difficulty in swallowing and spasm which can actually impede the breathing pattern. Continues regurgitation in the throat or mouth of beverages and food can be a sign of a dangerous stage of acid reflux. This can actually develop distaste to food, eroding enamel, and bad breath if left untreated. It can eventually lead to permanent digestive damage which later on develops to cancer.

Gastroesophageal Regurgitation Disease is a serious case that needs proper treatment. Although the less serious form of acid reflux disease would only require lifestyle and dietary modification, it is necessary to keep an eye on the symptoms and follow the regimen religiously. The symptoms may be simple at first but it can be a start of something worse. Once you feel the burning sensation which is known as heartburn, you need to consult your doctor immediately so that further test may be done and proper treatment may be given.

There are some diseases that have similar symptoms to GERD, this is one reason why to seek medical advice is necessary. Symptoms of acid reflux disease may be different from one person to another. The important thing is to be aware of these symptoms and act on its early stage. Do not wait until you have come to the point of no cure, and the sufferings are terrible enough to be relieved by any medications.

Common Symptoms Of Acid Reflux

Common Acid Reflux Disease Symptoms

One of the most common acid reflux disease symptoms is heartburn. Relevantly, it is known as having a burning feeling in the stomach which radiates in the throat and chest area. Most of the time it occurs to people diagnosed with GERD when: they had heavy meal, lie down flat on their back, lift heavy objects, or bend over. Patients are most likely to suffer this symptom at night than in other time, it was also causing them greater pain when the attacks happen at night than in day time.

Although heartburn is the most common symptom, it is not the most dangerous since it doesn’t create any major damage to the esophagus lining. Aside from this, there are also other common symptoms such as dyspepsia and regurgitation.

Dyspepsia - is a syndrome where there is a feeling of fullness in the stomach, upper quadrant pain, and nausea right after meal. It is possible though that people may suffer from dyspepsia even when they do not have GERD.

Regurgitation is a symptom of GERD which is characterized by a sensation of acid in the throat. There is a possibility of “wet burp” which is an occurrence when acid regurgitate as far as the mouth. It is on rare occasion though that sufferer vomit the acid.

Other than heartburn, dyspepsia and regurgitation, there are other less common symptoms that can be present in acid reflux disease and these are: chest pains and some throat conditions.
Chest pain is a feeling of having a food trapped on the breastbone. This is how a GERD chest pain feels like which is different from an angina or heart attack.

Throat conditions vary but are symptoms that are less likely to be experienced in GERD cases. Acid laryngitis is a condition which has presentation of hoarseness, a feeling of lump area in the throat, and dry cough. Dysphagia on the other hand means trouble in swallowing. This can cause spasm that causes the esophagus to narrow. Chronic sore throat and constant hiccups can also be considered as symptoms of GERD.

Some respiratory symptom such as coughing and wheezing can actually be caused by GERD. A study had shown that GERD can actually cause chronic cough in severe cases. Persistent nausea and vomiting can be attributed as a symptom of GERD.

Acid reflux disease symptoms vary from one case to another. Some may not suffer any common symptoms but would have evidence of some less common symptoms. It is very important to visit a specialist if there are constant occurrences of symptoms. This is to prevent worsening the situation, and give proper medication and diet and lifestyle modification to avoid recurrence of symptoms. It is easier to deal with GERD in its early stage.