We have all heard of heartburn and at one time or another probably experienced it for ourselves. Heartburn is that burning sensation that starts just behind our breastbone a few hours after we have eaten, and occurs most frequently when the digested food juices that are mixed with the stomach acids end up back in the esophagus. Heartburn is sometimes an indicator of GERD, therefore can be a precursor to GERD symptoms.
The term GERD is short for gastroesophageal reflux disease. In GERD the stomach acid is refluxed into the esophagus a repeated number of times. This repeated acid reflux causes damage to the sensitive esophagus. When GERD begins it is often considered to be a life long disease.
There are symptoms that indicate whether you are suffering from GERD or another digestive disorder. Some GERD symptoms are as follows. One is persistent heartburn and acid regurgitation.
Heartburn itself has different symptoms ranging from having a burning sensation in the chest just behind your breastbone which can occur after you eat and may last a few minutes or several hours. You might have a sour or bitter taste in the mouth. You may find that you lose of voice for no obvious reason and sometimes the symptoms of heartburn are mistaken for signs of a heart attack. The signs of heartburn become worse after eating.
Certain foods especially induce the pains of heartburn. These include tomatoes, citruses and chocolates. Even drinking teas, coffee and alcoholic beverages can make your heartburn symptoms felt.
Some other symptoms of heartburn are a burning in the throat which causes difficulty in swallowing. You may experience the taste of bile in your mouth. Chronic coughing can be another heartburn symptom.
While these are the main symptoms of heartburn not all GERD sufferers will experience all of them. Other GERD symptoms include a pain in your chest, and sometimes a feeling of hoarseness in the morning, occasionally symptoms include a choking sensation in the throat. You may suffer from bad breath or even become a victim of a persistent dry cough.
There could also be times when you will have trouble swallowing your saliva, and you get the uncomfortable feeling that you have some food still stuck in your throat even though you last had a meal several hours ago.
You might experience one of these symptoms or any number of them. A simple doctor’s visit will answer your questions about GERD, and GERD symptoms. What treatments and actions that you can take to prevent GERD and if they are suitable for you can best be answered by your doctor, and it will help also to discuss commencing the GERD diet as soon as possible with your doctor in order to complement the other medical advice.