Acid Reflux Disease Symptoms: Knowing your Body

by Raymond harper

Acid reflux disease symptoms

Acid reflux disease is a condition in which stomach acid abnormally refluxes into the esophagus. Acid reflux disease symptoms are something experienced by almost everyone and is not a problem normally. Most people have had a slight twinge of heartburn at times, especially after eating. Heartburn being the main symptom of acid reflux disease

 Our body uses stomach acids to break down the food that we eat. Normally, after the digestion in the stomach, the food is delivered by the digestive muscles to the intestines for extra digestion. But in patients who have acid reflux disease, the acidic stomach contents are refluxed back to the esophagus, which then causes inflammation. Cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, pregnancy, and fatty foods are some factors which worsens acid reflux conditions.

 Our present knowledge about acid reflux based on medical researches tells us that this disease is just as common in men as it is in women. There is no sexual preference. Moreover, the prevalence of acid reflux grows more frequent in people of 40 years of age and older.

 Symptoms of acid reflux may be typical or atypical.  But based on the diagnosis of acid reflux patients, only 70% of those who have this disease manifest typical symptoms.

 Typical acid reflux disease symptoms are problems are related to the esophagus. Such symptoms include the following:

 Heartburn

 Heartburn is one of many acid reflux symptoms and is a condition in which the patient feels a painful burning feeling in the esophagus. The pain often develops in the chest and may swell to the neck or throat. This problem mostly occurs in relation to activities such as: after a heavy meal, lifting, bending over, and lying down (especially straight after a meal). Based on one study, about 75% of acid reflux patients experience this symptom at night. These nigh-time patients also tend to experience a harsher pain than those whose symptom occurs at other times.

 Dyspepsia

 Researches show that about half of acid reflux patients have dyspepsia. This is a syndrome where symptoms include heartburn, pain, general discomfort in the upper abdomen, nausea after a meal, and stomach fullness. It is not set in stone however, that people who have dyspepsia have acid reflux.

 Regurgitation

 Regurgitation is when the gastric contents back up into the pharynx and sometimes as far as the mouth. In cases where the acids have spilled into the tracheobronchial tree, there can be respiratory problems. Usually acid will affect these airways and a cough will develope

 There are many instances, though, where acid reflux patients do not have heartburn symptoms and regurgitation. Instead, they experience atypical or extra esophageal symptoms which include the following:

 Throat symptoms

 Although it does not commonly happen, acid reflux patients suffer from symptoms that occur in the throat. Hoarseness and the feeling of having a lump in the throat. People with acid laryngitis suffer from dry coughs is another throat symptom. Patients can also have difficulty in swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. In critical cases, the food may get trapped in the throat or even choke, which can result in severe chest pain. Other throat symptoms are chronic sore throat and persistent hiccups.

 Vomiting and Nausea

 When a patient suffers from nausea which persists for weeks, he may have acid reflux. There are a few instances where vomiting can occur as often as once a day.

 Respiratory Symptoms

 Coughing and wheezing are counted as respiratory symptoms. These result from the overrunning of the stomach acids into the tracheobronchial tree creating constriction in the bronchial tubes.

 Acid reflux disease can last for several months if not given proper medical attention. Drug treatment may only be required for a short time to alleviate acid reflux disease symptoms. But if the symptoms reoccur repeatedly then the drug treatment may need further analysis by a doctor. of course there is alternative treatment.

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