Acid Reflux Symptoms – Learn more about Acid Reflux

Acid reflux symptoms manifest in patients with GERD or acid reflux, a condition that occurs when the tube transporting food into the stomach becomes too weak to handle the acid produced, stored, and used by the stomach to digest the food a person eats. In order to store the acid produced without causing damage to the digestive system, the stomach walls must have enough strength. However, patients may experience some symptoms when the stomach pushes the acid to the esophagus. To give you knowledge about this condition, this article presents some of the acid reflux symptoms.

Acid Refux Symptoms:

1. Heartburn – GERD or acid reflux is mainly characterized by heartburn, one of the primary acid reflux symptoms, often described as pain or burning sensation that radiates from the abdomen to the chest and throat. A certain medical study states that 75% of patients with acid reflux experience this symptom at night  especially after they have engaged in certain activities such as:

  • After eating a heavy meal;
  • Lifting;
  • Bending over;
  • Lying down on the back

2. Dyspepsia – Half of those diagnosed with GERD can experience dyspepsia through the following conditions:

  • Pain and discomfort particularly in the upper part of the abdomen;
  • Nausea after eating;
  • Feeling of fullness

However, it is important to remember that it is possible to have dyspepsia without having acid reflux.

3.    Regurgitation - this is the condition when the acid backs up in the throat. In some cases, the acid regurgitates up to the mouth and comes out as a "wet burp". In rare cases, the acid may forcefully come out as a vomit.

Less Common Acid Reflux Symptoms:

Many patients with acid reflux do not experience the main acid reflux symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation. The symptoms may instead appear or experienced in other locations. Here are some of the less common acid reflux symptoms:

1.    Chest Pain or Sensations - this is the sensation or feeling that the food is trapped and can't move from behind the breastbone. While this signals acid reflux, it is important to know that it is different from chest pain due to some heart conditions, like heart attack and angina.

2. Acid Reflux Symptoms experienced in the throat – some of these are:

  • Acid laryngitis - this condition is characterized by dry cough, hoarseness, feeling of lump in the throat, and the need to clear the throat repeatedly
  • Dysphagia (trouble swallowing) - in some cases, acid reflux may cause the patient to choke or have difficulty in swallowing the food, thereby causing severe chest pain.
  • Persistent hiccups
  • Chronic sore throat

3. Respiratory Symptoms – a certain medical study states that almost 40% of those non-smoking patients with acid reflux experience coughing and wheezing.

4. Chronic Nausea and Throwing Up – constant occurrence of nausea that often leads to vomiting or throwing up may also be one of the acid reflux symptoms. However, this isn’t always the cause as nausea and vomiting may also signal other medical conditions like gallbladder and pancreatic disorders, ulcers, and stomach cancers. Thus, it is necessary to always consult with your doctor whenever this symptom is experienced.