Signs and Symptoms of GERD

There are numerous signs and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Some of these signs and symptoms may be experienced by people who do not have GERD,  so oftentimes a person with GERD won’t identify their symptoms as anything abnormal until they get worse. 

Common signs and symptoms of GERD include: bad breath, nausea, pain in chest or upper abdomen (heartburn), difficulty with swallowing, painful swallowing, respiratory problems, vomiting, belching, water brash (sudden excess of saliva), feeling of lump in throat, chronic sore throat, laryngitis, inflammation of gums, erosion of the enamel of the teeth, hoarseness in morning, earache, and a sour taste in mouth. To experience some of these symptoms occasionally is normal; however, if they persist for long periods, it could be an indication that someone has GERD. 

Some of the unusual symptoms such as tooth erosion and ear pain can be confusing for some people. I know I was confused how ear pain can be related to GERD. Stomach acid is a powerful agent. If you are having stomach acid flow backwards, it can reach your mouth and eat away at your tooth enamel. If stomach acid goes far enough up the throat, it is actually possible for it to reach the eustachian tube which connects to your inner ear, causing earache. 

All these symptoms are due to the mighty power of stomach acid. Bad breath? Stomach acid. Heartburn? Stomach acid. Sore throat? You guessed it, stomach acid. Belching? Stomach acid bubbles! Some people experience symptoms of GERD worse than others, and there are even some partially lucky people who don’t experience symptoms at all. I say partially lucky because having symptoms is what is going to prompt you to speak to your doctor about them, getting you one step closer to helping your body. 

A blogger named Holle Abee has a great article on some of the symptoms of GERD and a short story of one of her bad experiences with it. You can read her article at: http://habee.hubpages.com/hub/Symptoms-of-GERD

RefluxMD,. (2015). GERD symptoms 101: What to do about the symptoms of GERD disease. Retrieved 18 October 2015, from http://www.refluxmd.com/learn/resources/2013-03-22/1745/gerd-symptoms-101-what-do-about-symptoms-gerd-disease

REFERENCES:

Aboutgerd.org,. (2015). Overview: Symptoms of GERD - aboutGERD.org. Retrieved 18 October 2015, from http://www.aboutgerd.org/site/symptoms/overview#symptoms

Healthline,. (2015). Acid Reflux (GERD) Statistics and Facts. Retrieved 18 October 2015, from http://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/statistics#2

HubPages,. (2015). Symptoms of GERD. Retrieved 18 October 2015, from http://habee.hubpages.com/hub/Symptoms-of-GERD

Niddk.nih.gov,. (2015). Symptoms and Causes of GER and GERD. Retrieved 18 October 2015, from http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/ger-and-gerd-in-adults/Pages/symptoms-causes.aspx