Anyone can be affected by GERD, but it’s more common in people who are overweight or have obesity, are pregnant, have a hiatal hernia, or smoke. It’s often triggered by eating fatty foods, drinking alcohol or caffeine, and taking certain medications, including antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, and sedatives.
Don’t ignore symptoms of GERD because if untreated, it can lead to more serious complications.
Symptoms of GERD
GERD may cause a number of different symptoms, but not all of them have to be present in any particular case.
Common symptoms of GERD include the following:
Stomach acid can flow back into the esophagus and throat more easily when you’re lying down. This may disrupt
sleep and aggravate preexisting respiratory issues. Some nighttime warning signs include the following:
- Waking up short of breath
- Frequent coughing or throat clearing while asleep
- Wheezing or chest tightness at night
- Coughing after meals or when lying flat
Chest pain in the form of heartburn is a symptom of GERD, but chest pain can also occur with a
heart attack or other heart problems. Chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to your heart is called
angina.
It’s important to make sure your chest pain isn’t being caused by a heart problem before diagnosing GERD. Knowing the difference between the symptoms of heartburn and the symptoms of a heart attack can help.
While heartburn is typically associated with a burning feeling in the chest and throat, chest pain caused by a heart attack is more likely to include these other symptoms:
- Pressure or squeezing in the chest, arms, neck, jaw, or back
- Nausea
- Cold sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fatigue
If you have severe, crushing chest pain — or pain in your left arm or jaw — seek emergency medical attention, since it may indicate a heart attack. If you have chest pain and aren’t sure what’s causing it, you should also seek emergency medical attention.
Potential Complications of Chronic GERD
People who don’t get treatment for GERD risk these more serious complications:
- Esophagitis This is inflammation in the lining of the esophagus. Chronic esophagitis can be painful and lead to ulcers in your esophagus, scarring, and precancerous conditions.
- Laryngopharyngeal Reflux This is when stomach acid moves up into the throat. It can cause coughing, hoarseness, swelling, and growths on the vocal cords.
- Difficulty Breathing Acid in the airways can cause asthmalike symptoms or irritate existing asthma by causing bronchial tubes to contract.
- Narrowing of the Esophagus This is a result of chronic acid injury and scarring of the lower esophagus, and it can make it difficult to swallow.
- Barrett’s Esophagus A serious condition in which the lining of the esophagus changes due to chronic acid exposure, Barrett’s esophagus is considered a risk for esophageal cancer.
- Esophageal Cancer GERD is a major risk factor for the most common type of esophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma).
Regurgitating stomach acid can also damage your teeth and cause bad breath. If your dentist notices acid erosion on your tooth enamel, there’s a good chance it’s due to chronic acid reflux.
When to See a Doctor
Occasional heartburn can be normal, but if you experience two or more bouts a week, it’s time to speak to your doctor.
GERD is treatable, but if left unmanaged, it can do long-term damage to your body. You should also make an appointment with your doctor if you have heartburn along with difficulty swallowing, persistent nausea and vomiting, black stools, and unintended weight loss, or if symptoms persist despite over-the-counter treatments.
While acid reflux is common during pregnancy, if you experience new or worsening symptoms that are interrupting your daily life, talk to your doctor about treatments and ways to cope.
Most of the time, a diagnosis of GERD isn’t based on any medical test or procedure, but instead on your symptoms. In some cases a doctor may want to perform an additional test or procedure to confirm or rule out GERD.
Diagnostic tests for GERD include these methods:
- Ambulatory Acid Probe A monitor connected to a flexible tube is threaded through the nose into the esophagus for 24 hours to continuously assess the stomach acid regurgitated there.
- Upper Endoscopy A thin, flexible tube containing a camera is inserted in the throat to examine the esophagus and assess how badly it’s been damaged.
- Esophageal Manometry This test measures muscle contractions in the esophagus through a device attached to a long, thin tube that’s passed through the nose into your stomach, then slowly back up through your esophagus. It is often done with an ambulatory acid probe.
- Upper GI Series Using X-rays to look at the upper digestive tract, this procedure can help detect strictures or ulcers in your esophagus, or a hiatal hernia, when the upper part of the stomach pushes up through the opening in your diaphragm for your esophagus
