Symptoms of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)

The most common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is regular heartburn, a painful, burning feeling in the middle of your chest, in the middle of your abdomen, and behind your breastbone. Not all adults with GERD have heartburn. GERD is characterized by symptoms and/or tissue damage that results from repeated or prolonged exposure of the lining of the esophagus to contents from the stomach. If tissue damage is present, the individual is said to have esophagitis or erosive GERD. The presence of symptoms with no evident tissue damage is referred to as non-erosive GERD. GERD symptoms are often persistent, such as chronic heartburn and regurgitation of acid. But sometimes there are no apparent symptoms, and the presence of GERD is revealed when complications become evident. Symptoms of GERD vary from person to person. The majority of people with GERD have mild symptoms, with no visible evidence of tissue damage and little risk of developing complications.

Other common GERD symptoms include :

1.    Bad breath

2.    Regurgitation, the backflow of stomach fluids into your mouth

3.   respiratory problems  such as Asthma. Asthma and GERD often occur together. Some theories about the connection between GERD and asthma are: Small amounts of stomach acid backing up into the esophagus can lead to changes in the immune system that trigger asthma. Acid leaking from the lower esophagus stimulates the vagus nerves, which run through the gastrointestinal tract. These stimulated nerves cause the nearby airways in the lung to constrict, producing asthma symptoms. Acid backup that reaches the mouth may be inhaled (aspirated) into the airways. Here, the acid triggers a reaction in the airways that causes asthma symptoms. There is some evidence that asthma triggers GERD, but in patients who have both conditions, treating GERD does not appear to improve asthma. Other Respiratory and Airway Conditions. Studies indicate an association between GERD and various upper respiratory problems that occur in the sinuses, ear and nasal passages, and airways of the lung. People with GERD appear to have an above-average risk for chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis (lung scarring), and recurrent pneumonia. If a person inhales fluid from the esophagus into the lungs, serious pneumonia can occur. It is not yet known whether treating GERD would also reduce the risk for these respiratory conditions.

4.   Nausea
5.   pain in your chest or the upper part of your abdomen
6.   problems swallowing or painful swallowing
7.   vomiting
8.   Sharp or burning chest pain behind the breastbone. This is also known as heartburn. It is the    most common symptom of GERD. Heartburn may be worse when you eat, bend over or lie down.
9.   Hoarseness, especially in the morning
10.   Coughing, wheezing or repeatedly needing to clear your throat

Chest pain may indicate acid reflux. Nevertheless, this kind of pain or discomfort should prompt urgent medical evaluation. Possible heart conditions must always be excluded first. Relief of symptoms after a two-week trial therapy with a proton pump inhibitor (a prescription medication that inhibits gastric acid secretion) is an indication that GERD is the cause. This can also be confirmed with pH monitoring, which measures the level of acid refluxing into the esophagus and as high as the larynx.