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Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)/Heartburn En Español (Spanish Version)GERD symptoms can occur at any time. However, they usually occur after overeating, or lying down after a big meal. Symptoms may last for a few minutes or a few hours. People who have possible symptoms of GERD should seek medical care. Heartburn © 2011 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
The most common symptoms of GERD include:
- Heartburn – a burning feeling that starts in the lower chest and may move up the throat
-
Frequent, persistent, recurrent, or chronic indigestion. Symptoms of indigestion include:
- Upper abdominal pain or discomfort following a meal
- Burping, bloating, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting
- Regurgitation of stomach contents into the back of the mouth or throat
- Sour or bitter taste in the back of mouth or throat
- Symptoms worsen when bending over, lying down, exercising, or lifting heavy objects
Other symptoms of GERD may include:
- Sore throat or earache
- Bad breath
- Hoarseness
- Chronic cough
- Choking
- Wheezing or trouble breathing
- Insomnia
- Feeling of a lump in the throat
-
Hoarse voice (
laryngitis
)
- Difficulty or painful swallowing
-
Chest pain
Note:
GERD can feel like the pain associated with a heart attack. Do not assume that chest pain is GERD or indigestion. If you have chest pains or other symptoms of a possible heart attack, call 911 immediately for emergency medical care.
- Sleep apnea (stopping breathing repeatedly throughout the night)
- Recurrent vomiting or failure to thrive in infants
Long-term complications of GERD may include:
- Esophagitis – inflammation of the esophagus
- Bleeding and ulcers in the esophagus
- Dental problems (due to the effect of stomach acid on tooth enamel)
- Chronic laryngitis
- Asthma
attacks and/or
pneumonia
(During sleep, acid may reflux from the stomach into the throat, drain into the lungs, and cause irritation.)
- Barrett’s esophagus
– a precancerous condition that can lead to esophageal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
– may develop in patients who have Barrett’s esophagus
American Gastroenterological Association website. Available at:
http://www.gastro.org/
. Accessed March 6, 2006.
The Merck Manual of Medical Information
. 17th edition. Simon and Schuster, Inc.; 2000.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
website. Available at:
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
. Accessed March 7, 2006.
Last Reviewed September 2011
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