From Bad Teeth To Burps - The Common Acid Reflux Symptoms

There are more Acid reflux symptoms than just that pain you get in your chest.  Most people are only too well aware of the common feeling of heartburn, otherwise known as acid reflux. The feeling of discomfort or pain in the chest is often the sign of indigestion, possibly as a result of overdoing it again at the Indian restaurant, or not giving yourself time to let your food go down after eating a big meal. Acid reflux is a very uncomfortable condition, but heartburn is only one of a number of different symptoms, and if these symptoms persist for a long time, then it could be a sign of something much more serious, either gastroesophageal reflux disease or in extreme cases, cancer.

To understand the various acid reflux symptoms, and why they occur, it is helpful to know what is actually happening when you suffer a bout of indigestion, or are doubled up in pain as heartburn shoots through your chest. We're all familiar with the swallowing part of the digestive process, but typically after we've done that bit, we tend to ignore the rest of it, since it all takes place without our having any conscious control or awareness of it.

Once we swallow, we pass the food through a valve at the back of our throat, known as the upper esophageal sphincter. The food is then carried down the long tube called the esophagus by a process known as peristalsis. This is a rhythmic contracting of the muscles all the way down the esophagus, squeezing the food to push it down. Although being upright helps, gravity isn't essential in order to transfer food from the throat to the stomach, which is why you can still eat and drink upside down - although it's not generally recommended!

At the bottom of the esophagus is another valve, called the lower esophageal sphincter, and it's this part which is largely responsible for all the problems associated with acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Inside the stomach there are acids being produced which break down the food. These acids are quite strong, but the stomach is lined with a protective coating to prevent being damaged. Stomach ulcers are typically cause when this protective lining is damaged or missing, and the acid starts to eat away at the lining itself. This shows just how potent and damaging these acids are.

For a variety of reasons, sometimes this lower esophageal sphincter opens, even just partially, either involuntarily or because of pressure from the stomach, and acids then leak up into the esophagus. In some cases, these acids can travel far up the esophagus, and even past the upper esophageal sphincter and into the mouth.  Most acid reflux symptoms are directly attributable to this passage of stomach acids up into the esophagus or mouth.

Although the stomach is lined with a protective coating against the acids, the esophagus is not, and so any acid that escapes up into this will start to burn the lining, causing the heartburn typically associated with the condition. In severe cases, or prolonged periods of occurrence, the acids can damage or scar the lining of the esophagus and cause other symptoms, such as the feeling of tightness when swallowing, or that something is stuck in the throat. This is because of scarring, inflammation or swelling of the esophagus, and although this eases with time, is very uncomfortable and may last for some time. Additionally, a tightness of the chest resulting in reduced or uncomfortable breathing is sometimes experienced, which can be quite debilitating. In the cases of those with asthma, this can result in severe loss of breath, and may require suitable attention.

As well as the esophagus, the throat and mouth are also not protected against the stomach's acids, and so if the acid reflux manages to reach all the way to the mouth, then the burning sensation can occur here too, and over long periods, especially where this occurs regularly, or at night when acids may remain in the mouth for long periods of time, damage can be caused to the enamel of the teeth through acidic erosion.

Waking up with a very dry, or even burning mouth, with a funny, tangy taste, could be a sign that whilst you slept you suffered from acid reflux, and this made its way to your mouth - always more likely when you are lying down as it can travel horizontally much easier than vertically upwards. Whenever the regurgitation or imminent regurgitation of stomach contents occurs, we are often aware of a preliminary nauseous feeling, which can give us some warning. Feelings of nausea are also common amongst those who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Although stomach acids can reach the throat in the form of liquid, or even as full regurgitation or vomiting, often it is the case that it converts to a gas form, and escapes this way. Naturally we refer to this gaseous exhalation of unwanted digestive acids in a more down to earth manner - the burp.  Whilst not as corrosive or as damaging to the esophagus as liquid acid reflux, it has other unwanted side effects, such as not being asked to dinner again, or getting funny looks from table nine.

That is among the more unsociable of the acid reflux symptoms, although there are many others that most would rather not have.

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