Common Symptoms of Acid Reflux
It is widely agreed among physicians and
medical paraprofessionals, that initial diagnosis,
mostly by using a typical acid reflux
symptoms questionnaire, is necessary to ensure the
most effective and quick treatment for this condition.
Approx 70% of the acid reflux diagnostics that are based
on the presence of typical symptoms are accurate. Since
acid reflux, also called GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux
disease), can cause a great deal of discomfort and can
result in severe complications, it is highly important
to know how to identify its symptoms in order to
diagnose it quickly and treat it.
The most common symptom of GERD is persistent
heartburn. Heartburn is experienced as an unpleasant and
painful burning sensation in the esophageal
area. Additional typical symptoms are as
follows:
·
Gastric regurgitation, which means an
unrestricted reversed flow of gastric or esophageal
contents into the throat. This gastric fluid can cause
respiratory complications under certain conditions.
·
Odynophagia , which means pain when swallowing.
·
Dysphagia , which means difficulty in swallowing, or
the feeling of food stuck in the throat.
In addition to the above, about half of
all gastro-esophageal reflux disease sufferers report
the co-occurrence of sino-nasal symptoms (i.e. symptoms
pertaining to the nose and
sinuses).
Abnormal Symptoms of Acid Reflux
Abnormal acid reflux
symptoms include chronic wheezing and coughing
(sometimes referred to as acid reflux related asthma,
and are caused by the movement of gastric contents into
the lungs area), spasmodic non-cardiac chest pain and
damage to the lungs, often followed by respiratory
diseases such as pneumonia and asthma. The chest
pain may closely resemble that of myocardial infarction
so that it has often been incorrectly interpreted as a
heart attack. However, unlike the symptoms of
gastro-esophageal reflux disease, cardiac chest pain is
usually aggravated during physical exercise.
Finally, acid reflux can also harm the
vocal cords (hoarseness, laryngitis and cancer), ears
(otitis media), and teeth (enamel decay). Being able to
identify those symptoms as GERD-related is of great
importance to your health and general well being and for
the prevention of potential complications. Acid reflux
symptoms might serve as an evidence for severe overall
internal imbalance. In addition to
that, neglected gastro-esophageal reflux
disease can lead to significant physical discomfort
and sometimes can result in chronic and even dangerous
health conditions, such as esophageal cancer and
pneumonia.
Fortunately, individuals can identify the
typical acid reflux symptoms on their own, prior to
seeing the family doctor. Once one or more of the above
acid reflux symptoms is identified, it is recommended to
schedule an appointment with a medical doctor for
comprehensive diagnosis. While a professional physician
can provide an effective initial diagnosis and often
offer relief in the form of drugs and antacids, mind you
that prescription medication and over the counters
merely touch the external symptoms of your medical condition. Moreover, certain drugs, including antacids
can also cause myriad side effects. Contrary to that,
choosing the holistic approach that tackles the internal
factors that trigger GERD in the first place and fixing
the root problem that contributes to acid reflux, is a
more effective, safe and long-term solution.
