Symptoms

The most common symptom of acid reflux is a painful sensation located behind the chest bone or upper abdominal discomfort. This pain may radiate up into the neck, throat or jaw. It generally comes and goes and often becomes worse when lying down. Other symptoms include:

• Regurgitation (bringing swallowed food back up into the mouth)
• Belching

• Chronic cough
• Hiccups
• Hoarseness
• Pharyngitis
• Chest pain (may feel like angina)
• Dysphagia (discomfort in swallowing) is not common, but may result from strictures in the esophagus from prolonged, severe acid reflux disease.

One of the more difficult aspects of acid reflux is trying to decide if the symptoms are caused by acid in the esophagus, a heart attack or asthma. Trying liquid Gaviscon, Maalox or other heartburn medication to see if symptoms are immediately relieved can be a helpful way to diagnose the pain. If the pain persists or there is any doubt about the diagnosis it is important to seek immediate medical care.