Acid Reflux Symptoms

If you have ever had it, you will never forget the burning acid reflux symptoms that have you coughing and choking, almost unable to catch a breath.  Acid reflux is also known as heartburn, and this and indigestion are very unpleasant conditions, most people being aware of the feelings of pain associated with them. 

Indigestion and heartburn aren't necessarily the same thing, however. Indigestion is a condition, whereas heartburn is one of the many symptoms of that condition. The feeling of sharp pain, usually in the chest area, is a familiar one to most people at one time or another, and is referred to as heartburn because of the location of the pain.

However, despite feeling as though you are suffering from a heart attack, it has nothing whatever to do with the heart itself. To understand more about what is going on, we need to understand a little more about what indigestion is, and what symptoms you can expect to experience, besides the commonly experienced heartburn itself.

When you swallow food it is taken down the throat, called the esophagus, all the way down to the stomach. It passes through a valve made up of strong muscle, called the lower esophageal sphincter. It is this muscle valve which allows food and liquid to pass into the stomach, whilst keeping all of the acids which slosh about safely inside the stomach, and away from the esophagus.

However, due to many and various reasons, it is sometimes the case that the lower esophageal sphincter opens unexpectedly, either because of something we ate that interferes with it, or because of extra pressure, or simply weakened or damaged muscle, and this allows acid from the stomach to rise up into the esophagus causing the burning sensation. This can rise all the way up the esophagus to the back of the throat, or even into the mouth. Usually when the acid reaches the mouth, it becomes gaseous, and the most common symptom of this expulsion of digestive gas is referred to as a burp. Involuntary or necessary burping or belching is one other symptom of acid reflux, and although not usually painful, and often provides some feeling of relief to the sufferer, it can cause suffering of another nature, to those around you.

In some cases, if the acid reflux symptom is more severe, acidic liquid may appear in the mouth, sometimes including bits of food. This is very unpleasant, and will taste very acidic. If this happens regularly, the appearance of such strong acid in the mouth can lead to damage of the teeth through erosion.

Taken a step further, in some cases it is not just a little liquid or food which is regurgitated back up the esophagus into the mouth, but full vomiting is triggered, resulting in expulsion of most or all of the contents of the stomach. This is clearly very unpleasant, and will result in large quantities of stomach acids rising up the throat, causing further burning sensations. In some cases, people suffer from nausea, which can be a sign of impending vomiting.  However, it doesn't always lead to this, but can in itself be a very unpleasant sensation and can be directly attributed to indigestion problems.

Another of the common acid reflux symptoms is a shortness of breath; sufferers complain that they are having difficulty breathing or have trouble breathing deeply enough to feel comfortable. This can make it feel a little as though the sufferer is breathing through a straw, and can last for some time. If the sufferer also suffers from asthma, it can be enough to trigger an asthma attack, and so should be treated very carefully.  Generally, people who suffer from asthma and diabetes tend to suffer more from heartburn and other related symptoms of acid reflux, but of course, it is the shortness of breath which can represent the biggest danger.

The presence of stomach acids being refluxed up into the esophagus and throat can result, in either the long term or short term, in various other symptoms which may not always be immediately attributed to the condition. Sufferers sometimes find themselves having difficulty swallowing, with the sensation of tightening of the throat, or even that there is a blockage. This can be caused by the acid damaging the lining of the esophagus, resulting in swelling, inflammation or irritation which makes it either difficult to swallow, or at least gives this sensation.

Additionally, if the acid has managed to reach all the way up to the top of the esophagus and escaped through the upper esophageal sphincter, which separates the esophagus from the throat, then the damage to the tissue here can result in either coughing, or a hoarseness of the voice.

Although for most people who suffer from acid reflux, the symptoms can be relieved through over the counter medicines, these don't always address the original cause of the problem, and this can continue over many years, with the medicines becoming less and less effective as the damage continues, until the patient has to increase the strength of the medicines more and more. In this case, it is advisable that a doctor is seen as the acid reflux could itself be a sign of a more serious condition known as gastr-oesophageal reflux disease.  Any acid reflux symptoms that persist after the normal non-prescriptive treatments have failed, should therefore be referred to a medical professional.

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