Seek immediate medical care if you have chest pain, especially if you also have shortness of breath, or jaw or arm pain. These may be signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Make an appointment with your doctor if you: Experience severe or frequent GERD symptoms.
If you are experiencing heartburn on a daily basis, it is likely time to be evaluated for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Persistent, untreated GERD may lead to more serious conditions. Sometimes, it can be a precursor to other diseases, including cancer.
The most common symptom of GERD is frequent heartburn — two or more times a week. Other signs and symptoms can include regurgitation of food or sour liquid, difficulty swallowing, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain — especially while lying down at night. If you have occasional acid reflux, lifestyle changes can help.
Stage 1 (mild): A person has infrequent heartburn and regurgitation happening once or less each week. Stage 2 (moderate): A person has regurgitation or heartburn occurring a few times a week. Stage 3 (severe): A person has regular heartburn, a chronic cough, regurgitation, a hoarse voice, and regurgitation of food.
Heartburn-like pain is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but several other conditions can cause a burning feeling in your chest, including gallstones, stomach ulcer and esophageal cancer.
Nausea or vomiting
Nausea and vomiting may be signs of GERD, hiatal hernia, or esophagitis. Regurgitation of the stomach's contents may occur as a complication of any of these conditions. This regurgitation often results in a “sour taste” that causes some patients to feel nauseated or lose their appetite.
While both involve inflammation, the key difference between gastritis vs. GERD is where that inflammation occurs in your GI tract. Gastritis has to do with inflammation in the stomach while GERD pertains to inflammation in your esophagus.
Stage 4 of GERD is when noticeable changes to the affected tissues are most likely to occur due to years of repeated damage. This is the stage when severe conditions like dysplasia and Barrett's esophagus are most like to form. In some cases, esophageal cancer may form at this stage.
If the pain is not relieved shortly after taking antacids, or is accompanied by these symptoms, seek emergency medical care: Squeezing/tightening in the chest. Feeling out of breath. Pain, aching or discomfort radiating from the chest to the arms, back or neck.
People without a history of heartburn can suddenly develop heartburn as a result of eating certain foods, some eating patterns, drinking, and smoking. Stress, anxiety, certain medications, and some medical conditions can also cause it.
Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy
A pathologist will examine the tissue under a microscope. Doctors may order an upper GI endoscopy to check for complications of GERD or problems other than GERD that may be causing your symptoms. Your doctor may order an upper GI endoscopy to help diagnose GERD.
GERD can be a problem if it's not treated because, over time, the reflux of stomach acid damages the tissue lining the esophagus, causing inflammation and pain. In adults, long-lasting, untreated GERD can lead to permanent damage of the esophagus.
For some folks, it can last just a few minutes. Sometimes it can last for several hours. Heartburn happens about once a week for up to 20% of Americans and is common in pregnant women.
An occasional episode of heartburn is normal, but if you're experiencing heartburn several times a week, you'll need to see a doctor. Chronic acid reflux is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
A GERD flare-up typically occurs after large meals and can last for two to three hours.
“Basically your survival rate is less than 20%. So it's important to identify people in the early change stage before they actually advance to esophageal cancer.”
If you have reflux, medicine that reduces the stomach acid helps your body heal. It might take 1 to 3 weeks to heal. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety.
GERD can cause chest pain that mimics a heart attack. Described as a squeezing pressure behind the breast bone, GERD-related chest pain can last for hours. And like a heart attack, it can also radiate down your arm to your back.
GERD can also cause trouble swallowing and a cough, which isn't typical of peptic ulcers. Ulcer pain is usually located in the upper abdomen, rather than in the chest. And you may notice it on an empty stomach or a few hours after a meal. This is less likely with GERD, which tends to happen quickly after eating.
GERD can produce a broad variety of symptoms, including: Asthma. Belching. Bloating.
More serious complications may emerge, such as the precancerous condition known as Barrett's esophagus, as well as esophageal adenocarcinoma. These GERD complications can result in hospitalizations for anti-reflux surgery, such as Nissen fundoplication.
Symptoms. Sudden injuries of the esophagus usually cause pain, often felt as sharp pain under the breastbone. They may also cause bleeding, and blood may appear in vomit or stool. Fainting may occur due to this pain, especially if the esophagus ruptures.