Acid Reflux - Disease Symptoms, Not Just An Upset Stomach

There is one thing that is certain. If you have acid reflux disease you will know it without much of a doubt. There are enough symptoms that will tell you there is something seriously wrong. Chances are the occasional heartburn does not qualify as acid reflux disease. This is just a little upset stomach that occurs only after you eat or drink certain things. Chronic heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux disease.

If you are a sufferer,  the acid reflux disease symptoms you have may be:

1. Chronic Heartburn
2. Pain in the chest
3. Problems swallowing
4. Hoarseness, dental problems and asthma
5. Bringing food back up into the mouth

There are other minor symptoms that can be associated with acid reflux such as wearing tight pants. They can push on the stomach thereby making the acid in the stomach work its way into the upper stomach and right on up to the esophagus. This can happen especially after eating a heavy meal.

If you have acid reflux on a regular basis you probably have GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease). In essence, what happens is the stomach starts doing its job by digesting the food using acid and enzymes. This makes its way into the small intestine normally but if you have acid reflux, it goes into the esophagus instead. This causes swelling and damage to the esophagus.

There are many foods that cause this problem. Some are more prone to cause the problems of acid reflux. If you have noticed after you eat chocolate or drink a cup of coffee, you have exhibit acid reflux disease symptoms, then this is something that does not agree with your stomach and should be avoided.

Eating should be avoided several hours before retiring for the night. When you lie down with a stomach full of food, this is inviting acid reflux. The food starts to digest and the stomach acid starts building and when you lie down, suddenly you are in terrible pain and you feel as if you are going to vomit. Sitting up relieves it a little but not entirely. Once it has started, every time you swallow your chest feels as if it is on fire.

Sometimes we think that drinking milk will help the acid reflux.  In some people it does, but in others it does not. This is because it goes into the stomach and mixes with the acid and all of a sudden you have sour milk as well as whatever else you have consumed. There are a few things that will help such as antacids, but they only help for a short time. Some people have reported when taking the mint flavored antacids they actually made the heartburn worse. This may be why antacid is not recommended for those suffering from heartburn that is a symptom of GERD.

Two more things that can worsen the symptoms of acid reflux are being overweight and being pregnant. This is due to the extra pressure on the abdomen. This in turn pushes on the stomach contents and into the esophagus they go.  If you are suffering from frequent heartburn and have any or all of the acid reflux disease symptoms mentioned above you should seek the advice of your doctor.