Signs of Acid Reflux

Millions of people suffer from acid reflux or gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) but not everyone knows all of the signs of acid reflux, as there are several. The most common one, which almost everyone knows about, is the extreme heartburn that happens after you eat, especially if you eat too much rich food. While this is sometimes just regular heartburn, in a lot of cases if you experience this often, it may actually be a sign of acid reflux.

The commonly seen heartburn or chest pain is sometimes mistaken for an actual heart attack, because it can be so severe and is in the same general region of the body. If you have such serious pains, don’t be too certain it’s a sign of acid reflux: go and see a doctor to be sure. Many people each year mistake the symptoms of actual heart attacks with acid reflux, as well as the other way around. But mistaking a real heart attack for acid reflux can be quite deadly. Don’t worry about being embarrassed in the emergency room – it’s better to be safe than sorry. As well, even acid reflux can be quite dangerous if left untreated, so it’s important to see a doctor either way.

Signs of a heart attack may include pain in the arm, and feeling worse after exercise. Signs of acid reflux most often come following eating certain things (like spicy or very fatty foods) and tend to get worse when you lie down after eating. If you know you have signs of acid reflux and have been diagnosed by a doctor, you may feel more able to tell the difference between them.

There are other signs of acid reflux, beyond the commonly known heartburn, and most of these are not mistaken for heart attacks but overlooked entirely or not known to be associated with acid reflux. These may include a bad taste in the mouth, sore throat, a feeling that food is coming up the throat, and tooth damage even when you are taking good care of your oral hygiene. All of these are due to stomach acids entering the throat or even the mouth, where they can do a lot of damage. It is important to deal with acid reflux, because if it goes on too long it can lead to scarring of the esophagus, bleeding ulcers, and even cancer of the throat. Luckily there are many treatment options available.

Understanding

In a normal digestive system

* The muscles that line your digestive system push food along in one direction.
* Special muscles called "sphincters" serve as valves that squeeze shut between one section of your digestive system and the next. Ordinarily, they allow food to pass only in one direction.
* Acid in the stomach helps digest food. The stomach lining resists the damaging effects of this acid.

When GERD strikes

* The sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus becomes loose or relaxes at the wrong time, allowing stomach acid to flow into the esophagus (acid reflux).
* Repeated acid reflux causes erosions or sores in the lining of the esophagus ("erosive esophagitis"), leading to pain or discomfort.
* GERD symptoms can be worse at night.

What is Acid Reflux

As is often the case, the body has ways (mechanisms) to protect itself from the harmful effects of reflux and acid. For example, most reflux occurs during the day when individuals are upright. In the upright position, the refluxed liquid is more likely to flow back down into the stomach due to the effect of gravity. In addition, while individuals are awake, they repeatedly swallow, whether or not there is reflux. Each swallow carries any refluxed liquid back into the stomach. Finally, the salivary glands in the mouth produce saliva, which contains bicarbonate. With each swallow, bicarbonate-containing saliva travels down the esophagus. The bicarbonate neutralizes the small amount of acid that remains in the esophagus after gravity and swallowing have removed most of the liquid.

Gravity, swallowing, and saliva are important protective mechanisms for the esophagus, but they are effective only when individuals are in the upright position. At night while sleeping, gravity is not in effect, swallowing stops, and the secretion of saliva is reduced. Therefore, reflux that occurs at night is more likely to result in acid remaining in the esophagus longer and causing greater damage to the esophagus.

Certain conditions make a person susceptible to GERD. For example, GERD can be a serious problem during pregnancy. The elevated hormone levels of pregnancy probably cause reflux by lowering the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter (see below). At the same time, the growing fetus increases the pressure in the abdomen. Both of these effects would be expected to increase reflux. Also, patients with diseases that weaken the esophageal muscles (see below), such as scleroderma or mixed connective tissue diseases, are more prone to develop GERD.

What is Acid Reflux

GERD is a chronic condition. Once it begins, it usually is life-long. If there is injury to the lining of the esophagus (esophagitis), this also is a chronic condition. Moreover, after the esophagus has healed with treatment and treatment is stopped, the injury will return in most patients within a few months. Once treatment for GERD is begun, therefore, it usually will need to be continued indefinitely.

Actually, the reflux of the stomach's liquid contents into the esophagus occurs in most normal individuals. In fact, one study found that reflux occurs as frequently in normal individuals as in patients with GERD. In patients with GERD, however, the refluxed liquid contains acid more often, and the acid remains in the esophagus longer.

What is GERD (acid reflux)?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, or acid reflux, is a condition in which the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates (backs up, or refluxes) into the esophagus. The liquid can inflame and damage the lining of the esophagus although this occurs in a minority of patients. The regurgitated liquid usually contains acid and pepsin that are produced by the stomach. (Pepsin is an enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins in the stomach.) The refluxed liquid also may contain bile that has backed-up into the stomach from the duodenum. (The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine that attaches to the stomach.) Acid is believed to be the most injurious component of the refluxed liquid. Pepsin and bile also may injure the esophagus, but their role in the production of esophageal inflammation and damage (esophagitis) is not as clear as the role of acid.