Across the globe, self awareness about medical conditions continues to grow as access to medical information becomes more prevalent. This is particularly true when it comes to the subject of Chronic Acid Reflux Disease, also known as Gastroesophageal Acid Reflux Disease (GERD) and more importantly, how to identify its symptoms. Symptoms are classified as a sensation or experience that is identified in association with a condition, such as having a sore throat; pain in the chest or joints; having a headache; dizziness or any other sensation that is not proven by a scientific explanation.
Common symptoms for Chronic Acid Reflux are heartburn, chest pain, painful or difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, excessive salivation and nausea. The degree to which a person might experience some or even possibly all of these symptoms depends on how severe the acid reflux or GERD condition is. Knowing what causes each symptom(s) can help ease the discomfort the person experiences by enabling them to know how to alleviate or even eliminate the symptom(s) through proper diet, homeopathic remedies or over the counter medications.
Heartburn is the most common symptom experienced by people. Heartburn is the result of acid from the stomach being allowed into the esophagus through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES is the ring of muscle that acts as the valve to stomach. Normally the LES will close immediately after food passes through it. When the LES doesn’t close all the way or is opened too often, the result is acid reflux or heartburn. If the acid reflux happens more than twice a week you have chronic acid reflux disease.
Painful or difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) is another common symptom of chronic acid reflux disease. The dysphagia presents itself when the regurgitated acid from the stomach begins to damage the esophagus and vocal cords. Dysphagia can lead to various other health problems such as: dehydration, abnormal weight loss, pneumonia and esophagitis, which is an infection in the esophagus.
Chest pain that can sometimes mimic heart pain is another symptom of reflux. Sometimes instead of getting heartburn a person will get chest pain that mimics a heart attack. This is commonly called angina. Angina is usually experienced after eating, lying down or bending over. The angina related to reflux is usually caused by a spasm of the esophagus. Nobody knows what actually triggers the spasm but the pain responds to nitroglycerin, much the same way as most common anginas.
The two least common symptoms of chronic acid reflux are nausea and excessive salivation. While not as common as the three previous stated symptoms, they can be just as annoying and frustrating to manage. Although not common, nausea can be frequent and severe and may result in vomiting. The cause of the nausea or why some people have it instead of heartburn is not known. Nausea can trigger excessive salivation which is the body’s preparation for vomiting.
Should you or someone you know experience these symptoms on a regular basis, it is advised to consult with a physician.< >< ><-->
