Acid Reflux Symptoms That Should Be Never Ignored

One of the most common symptoms related with the Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is what is known as ‘heartburn’. Contrary to its name, it actually has very little to do with one’s heart. It is characterized by a burning sensation that is felt to originate in the stomach and extend to one’s chest and the throat as well. The burning sensation is actually caused by the acidic contents of the stomach causing irritation to the upper esophagus which is more sensitive than its lower end. The condition can become more acute after a heavy, spice meal, bending over or lifting heavy objects, or if somebody lies down right after eating a heavy and oil rich meal.

Medical statistics reveal that the symptoms of GERD or acid reflux become more pronounced and frequent at night. Patients have often complained of varying degrees of uneasiness or pain especially during the night time. And some of them even have problems in lying down, because this makes the process of the reflux easier. While many feel a persistent uneasiness throughout the day, it becomes more intense and more severe at night. The pain can sometimes get so intense that it can get mistaken for a heart attack. It should however be borne in mind that no matter how acute the heartburn or the associated discomfort may be, it does not indicate any permanent or serious damage to the esophagus. It is actually a temporary condition that has been caused by the reverse flow of the acidic stomach contents that have refluxed into the esophagus through a weakened sphincter.

Besides heartburn, other symptoms of acid reflux may also include chronic Dyspepsia which is characterized by:

• A feeling of nausea, especially after meals.
• A persistent sense of fullness in the stomach.
• Upper abdominal irritation and discomfort.

It is worth remembering here that one can have dyspepsia without having acid reflux or GERD. If there is one sure sign of acid reflux, it is regurgitation. It is characterized by a feeling of acidic stomach contents flowing back and accumulating in the throat, sometimes regurgitating to the mouth and giving rise to what we call a ‘wet burp’.

Some of the other, less common, acid reflux symptoms include the following:

• A severe pain in the chest area, often with a feeling of food matters lying trapped behind the breastbone. Under such circumstances, immediate medical attention should be sought to differentiate with angina pectoris cardiac complications. An urgent ECG should also be performed to check for any arrhythmia or abnormality.
• Throat complaints like Acid Laryngitis, which is characterized by hoarseness of the voice, dry cough and the feeling of having a lump in the throat. In some chronic cases, the patient can experience difficulty in swallowing, while in more acute cases, the consumed food can actually become trapped in the esophagus because of constrictions of the tube.
• Chronic soreness of the throat and persistent hiccups might indicate GERD.
• Queasiness and retching often accompany acid reflux. Any unexplained long-standing feeling of nausea persisting for months is a sign of GERD.
• The sudden onslaught of asthmatic symptoms, like wheezing and coughing, in non-smoking patients can also indicate the condition.

Conventional, mainstream medication and treatment can provide quick relief from the symptoms of GERD, but rarely do they bring about a lasting cure. That is because these medications aim to just treat the symptoms and not the real causes – and thus the symptoms come back once the temporary effects of the medications are gone. One has to actually turn to ‘more complete’ modes of treatment, such as the holistic method, to solve the deep-rooted causes of acid reflux. This mode of treatment treats the body as a whole and that’s what makes it so effective. The real causes of acid reflux are removed from the inside with holistic remedies.

Jeff Martin is an author of the best-selling e-book, "Heartburn No More- Open The Door To an Acid Reflux Free Life".

For further information visit: Acid Reflux Problems.