People who have GERD often feel very full. They may also feel nauseous and like they need to vomit. Other possible symptoms include a dry cough, asthma, toothache, and a husky or hoarse voice. These occur if the stomach juices get into the windpipe and irritate the airways, or get into the mouth and attack the teeth.
This can lead to damage as well as leave a lingering taste in the mouth as the acid creeps upward. Partnered with difficulty swallowing, coughing, and belching with GERD, many patients feel nauseated or experience vomiting. Indigestion has also been reported by some patients.
A burning sensation in your chest (heartburn), usually after eating, which might be worse at night or while lying down. Backwash (regurgitation) of food or sour liquid. Upper abdominal or chest pain.
GERD can give you a burning feeling in your mouth. It can cause you to have a sore throat or to have trouble swallowing. You may feel like food is sticking in your throat. GERD may also make you feel like you're choking or that your throat is tight.
Alarm symptoms include dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and odynophagia (painful swallowing), which may represent presence of complications such as strictures, ulceration, and/or malignancy. Other alarm signs and symptoms include, but are not limited to, anemia, bleeding, and weight loss.
Stage 4 of GERD is when noticeable changes to the affected tissues are most likely to occur due to years of repeated damage. This is the stage when severe conditions like dysplasia and Barrett's esophagus are most like to form. In some cases, esophageal cancer may form at this stage.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic, recurrent disease. Reflux esophagitis can interfere with sleep via acid reflux, which can cause daytime sleepiness or fatigue.
The duration of GERD symptoms can vary from person to person. In some cases, symptoms may occasionally last a few hours. In other cases, symptoms may be more frequent and persist for several days or weeks.
Long-term acid reflux can damage the esophagus and may lead to a condition known as Barrett's esophagus, which is a precursor to esophageal cancer. Barrett's affects about 3% to 10% of older men, but within this group the risk of developing esophageal cancer is only about four in every 1,000 cases.
People without a history of heartburn can suddenly develop heartburn as a result of eating certain foods, some eating patterns, drinking, and smoking. Stress, anxiety, certain medications, and some medical conditions can also cause it.
Mild sufferers may experience occasional bouts of heartburn. Patients with more severe reflux can experience heartburn daily. Other patients never experience heartburn but may have symptoms such as asthma, chronic cough, hoarseness, or chest pain due to persistent reflux.
A large cross-sectional observational study has revealed that, compared with healthy control individuals, GERD patients experienced significantly higher anxiety and depression levels (8).
In some people the burning sensation calms down after just a few minutes, but that is not a rule, and it can last up to a few days in some other cases. However, if heartburn lasts even longer and if it occurs even more frequently, we recommend that you see your doctor as soon as possible.
Reflux usually peaks at 4 – 5 months of life and stops by 12 – 18 months. Spitting up crosses the line into GERD when the infant develops troublesome symptoms.
The combination of these factors can allow a vicious cycle to develop. GERD may cause stress and anxiety, yet stress and anxiety also contribute to GERD. Finding both physical and psychological ways to treat these symptoms is vital to break the cycle and find relief.
As chronic GERD continues untreated, the stomach acid can scar the lining of the esophagus. As the scar tissue increases, it makes the esophagus more narrow in certain spots. It becomes difficult to eat and drink and may lead to dehydration and weight loss.
While most cases of GERD is benign, sometimes a person's symptoms do not align with the degree of inflammation in their esophagus. Because GERD can worsen over time if not properly treated, an early evaluation by a specialist is recommended.
Persistent heartburn can also be a symptom of other conditions, such as Barrett's esophagus, hiatal hernia, or esophageal cancer. If heartburn does not resolve after taking antacids, a person should visit a doctor for evaluation.
Difficulty swallowing. Painful swallowing. Swallowed food becoming stuck in the esophagus, also known as food impaction. Chest pain, particularly behind the breastbone, that occurs with eating.
Ways of relieving the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) include avoiding food triggers, changes to dietary habits, sleeping with the head raised and using supplements, such as ginger.
When your acid reflux symptoms are not being controlled by medication, it's time to see a gastroenterologist to discuss your options, specialists say.
Although healing of the esophagus may occur in 6 to 8 weeks, it should not be misunderstood that gastroesophageal reflux can be cured in that amount of time. The goal of therapy for GERD is to keep symptoms comfortably under control and prevent complications.