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The commonest symptom of acid reflux is heartburn. Do not worry unnecessarily if you have heartburn. Most of us have heartburn at some time or other especially when we over indulge. Usually a single dose of antacid settles the problem. However, if the heartburn pain returns after treatment and becomes recurrent then the lower esophageal sphincter may be faulty and opens when it should not.

There may be factors that influence the efficiency of the LES and by eliminating them you may well control your acid reflux. On the other hand if it is true LES incompetence, then you will need specific acid reflux treatment by your doctor or specialist.

In addition to heartburn, acid reflux can produce other non-specific chest pains. This may cause concern to sufferers because there is a fear that it could be a heart attack and quite a few of these patients end up in the Accident and Emergency departments of hospitals.

Other symptoms of acid Reflux are:

Difficulty in swallowing

Chronic cough

Acidic taste in the mouth

Burning feeling in the throat

Uncomfortable feeling in the upper abdomen and chest

In some cases of acid reflux there are the following symptoms:

Gum disease

Persistent clearing of the throat

Hoarseness of the voice

Night cough or choking

Recurrent or chronic sinusitis

Bad breath.

In addition if acid reflux reaches as far as the throat and mouth, then dental damage can occur in addition to gum disease. The enamel of teeth can be worn down and cavities can develop.

From the list above you can see that acid reflux can be a serious problem if not treated adequately. If the acid reflux treatment you are using at home is not working and you think you have GERD, see your doctor.

Dr. Phil Hariram