What are the Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease?
by T. Houser
Symptoms of Acid Reflux
These are some of the most common symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn:
* Chronic coughing * Hoarseness * Loss of voice for an unknown reason * Difficulty in swallowing * Bitter or sour taste in the mouth * Burning feeling in the throat * Burping * Wheezing not associated with asthma * Spitting up by babies * Burning sensation behind the breastbone just after eating
Often the symptoms of heartburn are mistaken for symptoms of a heart attack. The pain experienced from a heart condition can be made worse by physical activity. However, physical activity does not cause heartburn. If you are not sure if you are having a heart attack go to an emergency room, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Three quarters of acid reflux sufferers report experiencing their symptoms at night. In addition, patients experience more severe symptoms when experiencing them at night. Severe heartburn is not the sign of an injury to the esophagus. Barrett's esophagus causes pre-cancerous changes to the esophagus and may cause acid reflux symptoms especially in senior citizens.
Another of the symptoms of acid reflux is the regurgitation of stomach acid into the throat. The acid can also regurgitate into the mouth as a wet burp. In rare occurrences, it can forcefully exit the stomach as vomit.
There are less common symptoms of acid reflux. Chest pain may cause the patient to feel that food is trapped behind their breastbone. A throat condition such as a dry cough, hoarseness, the feeling of their being a lump in their throat and constantly clearing their throat; this is considered acid laryngitis.
A severe symptom of acid reflux is the patient choking on food that has become trapped in their esophagus, which causes the patient to experience severe chest pain. This is severe because it may mean that the patient is having a temporary spasm that is narrowing the breathing tube, or it may an indication of the patient having serious esophageal damage. Other less common symptoms of acid reflux disease are a chronic sore throat and annoying persistent hiccups. Acid reflux also occurs more frequently when the patient lies down, especially in bed at nighttime. A way to alleviate this is to wait for two to three hours before going to bed after eating.
Symptoms of acid reflux usually occur after a meal. Thus, you may have to avoid certain foods that are known to cause heartburn or acid reflux. Some of the foods that could cause an episode of heartburn or acid reflux are as follows:
* Chocolate * Fatty or fried food * Peppermint * Spicy foods * Tomato based foods * Caffeinated drinks * Citrus fruit * Garlic and onions
It is very important to have your symptoms of acid reflux verified by a doctor. Do not wait until your symptoms get severe.
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by T.D. Houser