Symptoms of Acid Reflux – Helpful Tips and Advice

The symptoms of acid reflux are often not severe and serious; however, when they attack, they can cause pain and discomfort. GERD or more commonly known as acid reflux is a condition that takes place when the tube used in the transport of food to the stomach from the throat isn’t strong enough to handle the acid, produced, stored, and used by the stomach to digest the food we eat. The stomach walls are originally built with enough strength to handle production and storage of acid without damaging any part of the system.

One of the very first and most common symptoms of acid reflux is heartburn, which occurs when the acid produced by the stomach to digest the food we eat flows back to the esophagus. This is normal though as it can be experienced by everyone once in a while; however, if the symptoms of acid reflux occur more frequently and can’t be relieved by medications, you may be positive of acid reflux. The symptoms of acid reflux may be relieved and prevented by making some changes in your diet but if this still doesn’t work, you should seek immediate medical attention.

The symptoms of acid reflux are experienced when the lower oeasophageal sphinter fails to block or stop the acid from flowing back from the stomach to the esophagus. When this occurs, the chest experiences burning sensation and pain. This condition is called heartburn.

Other symptoms of acid reflux include:

1. Burning Chest Pain or Sensation – this pain or burning sensation often starts from behind the breastbone or the sternum and may go up to the throat. This is often experienced after eating and may last from several minutes to a few hours.

2. Bitter or sour taste in the mouth – this condition occurs when the contents of the stomach reflux up to the esophagus and at the back of the throat. When the contents reach the throat’s back, you have a bitter or sour taste in your mouth.

3. Trouble with Swallowing – also known as dysphagia, trouble with swallowing is a condition that occurs when there is no normal passage of food from the mouth through the esophagus tube to the stomach. This condition is accompanied by a feeling of choking, burning after eating, chest pressure, or a feeling that the food could not move from the throat. It is one of the most common symptoms of acid reflux but it could also be a symptom of other medical conditions such as esophagitis and esophageal cancer; thus, constant trouble with swallowing requires immediate medical attention.

4. Chronic cases of coughing – do you known that 40% of chronic cases of coughing in non-smoking patients are due to GERD or acid reflux? Coughing is the result of the stomach acid being refluxed back into the esophagus and is inhaled or aspirated.

5. Wheezing and other asthma-related symptoms – these are also some of the most common symptoms of acid reflux as study sows that around 60% of asthmatic people have also been diagnosed to have acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD can cause asthma-related symptoms when the stomach acid backs up into the esophagus and is inhaled into the lungs and airways, thereby, making breathing more difficult and causing the patient to cough and wheeze.

Learn more about acid reflux. Stop by Lisa Chiesa’s site where you can find out all the details about acid reflux symptoms.