Acid Reflux or Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which the stomach acid travels back into the esophagus or food pipe after eating. The problem is that often people have symptoms of this disease, but don’t know that they have the disease. The result: the symptoms keep getting worse and lead to chronic problems in the respiratory and digestive organs. But help is at hand! This article will help you understand the symptoms of acid reflux.
Answer these questions and find out if you have acid reflux
Do you suffer from heartburn more than once a week?
Heartburn is the most common, most noticeable and most common symptom of acid reflux. But occasional heartburn is not a problem. When you know you have eaten a little too much at that wedding buffet, the reason for the heartburn is pretty clear! You are not suffering from gastro-esophageal acid reflux disease.
Do you feel a burning sensation right behind the breastbone?
If you have acid reflux, you might feel as if food is trapped right behind your breastbone.
Do you have difficulties in swallowing food?
If you have ignored your acid reflux for too long, it may be possible that certain changes have happened in your esophagus. This will make it difficult for you to swallow food.
Are you often suffering from chest pain?
Chest pain due to acid reflux is often confused as pain related to a heart problem. If you don’t have any history of heart disease and this problem keeps recurring, it is quite possible that it is the acid traveling back into your esophagus.
Do you have chronic sore throat?
Acid reflux means acid coming up into the throat. If acid comes up into the throat, it will cause pain and soreness in the throat and it won’t be due to a throat infection.
Has your voice become hoarse or has it changed?
Have you noticed a change in your voice? Has it become hoarse? Is there no apparent reason for it? Then it’s probably the contents of your stomach coming back up to the throat. Yes, it is acid reflux.
Do you constantly suffer from ear aches for no apparent reason?
In acid reflux, the acid from your stomach can go right up to your ears through your Eustachian tube. So if you constantly have ear ache, get it checked.
After a meal does the food and acid travel back into your food pipe?
In acid reflux the valve located just above your stomach stops functioning properly. This valve is responsible for preventing the stomach contents from traveling back into the esophagus. So when you eat, the undigested food and stomach acid keeps coming back into the esophagus. It’s a sensation you can never miss.
Are you constantly clearing your throat?
This is another one of the damaging effects of stomach acid that patients of acid reflux have to face.
Do you constantly have nausea or do you belch a lot?
Acid reflux is a digestion problem. If food is not digested properly, you will feel fullness in the upper abdomen, nausea, and you will find yourself belching.
Do you constantly have sour taste in your mouth?
The stomach acid is constantly backing up into your mouth in acid reflux. So, expect it to leave its sourness in your throat and mouth.
Do you often have heartburn or do the contents of your stomach travel back into the mouth while sleeping, exercising, or while you are bending?
Sleeping, exercising and bending put pressure on the abdomen. Since the stomach valve does not function properly in acid reflux, these activities are bound to throw up the contents of the stomach back into the mouth.
If you have most of these symptoms, then you are probably suffering from acid reflux. It is time to get to the physician, who will probably refer you to a gastroenterologist. Your physician will probably suggest some acid suppressants to reduce the production of the acid in your stomach. Taking medicines will, however, not do the trick alone. You will have to introduce some changes in your lifestyle and eating habits. So follow the instructions of your physician to control gastro-esophageal acid reflux or GERD.
Copyright © Roohi Khan - 2009
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