A burning sensation just behind your breastbone in your chest may indicate a passing incidence of acid reflux or the presence of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. The pains of acid reflux are often worse when you bend over, lie down and after eating. Occasional acid reflux gives no cause for alarm and is common for most people. Long-term, repeated occurrences of reflux accompanied by concomitant symptoms such as chronic sore throats, hoarseness, asthma or changes in the cellular makeup of your esophagus may result in a diagnosis of GERD, explains Dr. Mark Babyatsky of EverydayHealth.com. Changes in lifestyle and diet are usually all that is required for most people to manage their acid reflux symptoms. When more frequent reflux interferes with your daily affairs, it may indicate a more serious condition on the rise. Here's what to look for to identify GERD and acid reflux.
Burning Pains
Burning pains in your stomach or chest just behind the breast bone, especially after eating or when bending over or lying down, may indicated acid reflux, says the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).
Dyspepsia
Belching, bloating, passing gas or food backing up into your throat immediately after eating is a common sign of acid reflux according to the NDDIC.
Sore Throats and Coughing
Sore throats that appear soon after eating, during sleep or after refluxing into the mouth as well as coughing with no known cause, especially when lying down at night, are possible indicators of GERD reports LifeExtension.org.
Back Pain
Pains radiating to the center back and between the shoulder blades from the stomach region after eating may indicate a case of severe acid reflux.
Snoring and Choking
LifeExtension.org mentions if you snore and choke during sleep you may be refluxing at night.
Sour Taste and Bad Breath
Acid reflux can cause a sour taste with bad breath due to partly digested foods backing up into the esophagus, throat and even into the mouth reports the Mayo Clinic.
Barrett's Esophagus
Changes to the cellular structure of the esophagus may occur as a result of prolonged bouts of GERD according to LifeExtension.org. These cellular changes are known as Barrett's esophagus and can lead to esophageal cancer.
Esophageal Cancer
There are two types of cancer of the esophagus explains LifeExtension.org, and adenocarcinoma is the one linked to severe GERD. Adenocarcinoma most commonly occurs in the lower portion of the esophagus. The more long-lasting the symptoms of GERD, frequency and severity of attacks, the greater the risk of adenocarcinoma.
Other Considerations
Visit your doctor for a more in depth diagnosis if heartburn symptoms happen repeatedly and occur more than once a week, persist even after continued use of medications or home remedies, or if you have problems swallowing. Symptoms of heartburn are often mistaken for heart attack. Seek medical help immediately for heart attack symptoms, which consist of chest pain combined with difficulty breathing, excessive sweating, anxiety and pain in the arm or jaw.
