How Do You Know If You Are Experiencing Acid Reflux Symptoms?

How Do You Know If You Are Experiencing Acid Reflux Symptoms?

We all may get a little heartburn from time to time but how do we know if what we are experiencing is something more serious, such as acid reflux?

One way is to learn the symptoms of acid reflux and then if you feel you may have acid reflux, speak with your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Common symptoms of acid reflux:

Heartburn is a familiar symptom with those who suffer from acid reflux. Typically they experience a burning sensation that may move up from the stomach area to the chest and even into the throat (heartburn) after eating a big meal or a meal with lots of rich or spicy foods, or when they eat and then bend over, lift objects or children and/or if they lie down immediately after eating a big meal, especially if they lie down on their back. The majority of patients who report having heartburn say they have it at night. Commonly those who report nighttime acid reflux say the pain is so severe they are uncertain as to it being heartburn or chest pain as in angina or congestive heart failure.

Some individuals may be concerned about damage to the esophagus especially if they experience severe heartburn pain. Damage is not necessarily indicated by the intensity of the pain.

Another common symptom of acid reflux is “dyspepsia”. Dyspepsia is actually a syndrome that consists of the combination of the individual feeling pain and discomfort in the upper abdomen, fullness in the stomach, and nausea after eating. Individuals can experience the symptoms of dyspepsia and not have acid reflux.

Symptoms of acid reflux that is less common:

Some individuals diagnosed with acid reflux did not experience heartburn or even regurgitation; they instead have less common symptoms of acid reflux including sensations of pain in the chest region. This pain is caused by food that has become trapped behind the breastbone. It would become important for these individuals to learn how to tell the difference between the chest pain of acid reflux and when they might be experiencing chest pain that comes from heart conditions such as angina or the warning signs of an impending heart attack.

Other less common symptoms of acid reflux include those felt in the throat area, and include hoarseness, dry cough, or a sensation of having a lump in the throat and having the repeated need to clear the throat which is referred to as having “acid laryngitis”.

Individuals who experience difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or may even choke on food that may become trapped in the esophagus and can even result in experiencing severe chest pain may also be experiencing acid reflux. This type of acid reflux may signal a more serious condition such as damage to the esophageal or abnormalities of the esophagus.

Chronic sore throat is another not so common symptom of acid reflux as is persistent hiccups.