Ignoring the symptoms won’t make it go away.
More than 40 million Americans suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, also known as acid reflux. For this reason, if you have heartburn, especially if it’s persistent or frequent, it could be a warning sign that acid reflux is threatening your health. And you may need to do something about it.

Cause
There is no single cause of acid reflux. But we do know that it occurs when a muscular valve located between the esophagus and stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), fails to close properly or to stay closed, allowing stomach acids to splash back, or reflux, into the esophagus, mouth or wind pipe. When refluxed stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus, it causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat called heartburn.

Factors that may contribute to acid reflux, or worsen its symptoms, include smoking, being overweight or pregnant and drinking alcohol. Although it varies by individual, the consumption of specific foods and beverages can also be a contributing factor. These include caffeine, chocolate, spicy foods, tomato products, mint, fried or fatty foods, milk, citrus juices, ketchup, mustard, vinegar or cola. Stress also increases acid production and worsens symptoms.

Hiatal Hernias. A hiatal hernia contributes to acid reflux. It occurs when the stomach “slips up” into the chest cavity, predisposing individuals to the condition. In addition, frequent heartburn can cause a shortening of the esophagus, worsening a hiatal hernia. A hiatal hernia can occur in people of any age, but they are more often found in otherwise healthy people age 50 or older.

Symptoms
The most common symptom of acid reflux is persistent heartburn, associated with a burning feeling in the chest just behind the breastbone that occurs after eating and lasts a few minutes to several hours. Regurgitation (involuntary return of partly digested food from the stomach to the mouth) is also a relatively common complaint.

Other acid reflux symptoms include:
• Difficulty or painful swallowing
• Sour taste in mouth
• Feeling of food “sticking” in chest or throat
• Chronic cough, sore throat or hoarseness
• Frequent belching
• Excessive mouthwatering
• Bad breath
• Inflammation of gums
• Erosion of tooth enamel
• Asthma

Complications
Besides the obvious effect on quality of life, chronic exposure to acid reflux can irritate and
damage the esophagus, potentially leading to serious health conditions.

These include:
• Esophagitis - Irritation and inflammation of the esophageal lining
• Dysphagia - Difficulty or painful swallowing
• Strictures - Abnormal narrowing or closure of the esophagus
• Barrett's Esophagus - Precancerous change of esophageal cells
• Esophageal cancer - Most commonly found in tissue lining the lower esophagus in heavy smokers and people drinking alchohol excessively

If you have persistent heartburn, or continue to experience symptoms while on medication, call your doctor or schedule an appointment at Goshen Acid Reflux Center. Even if your heartburn pain has lessened or is less frequent on medication, acid reflux can continue to cause damage.