Many people throughout the world suffer from heartburn. Not only is it annoying, but it can also cause a number of medical issues. To get a diagnosis and stop heartburn from affecting you, you ought to know the symptoms. Here are some of the most common heartburn symptoms.
A burning feeling in the chest is perhaps the most common symptom of heartburn. This is caused from the stomach acid rising from the stomach into your esophagus. It commonly occurs after consuming a meal and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.
You may feel burning in your throat if you have heartburn. The burning sensation is caused by irritation from the acid rising through the esophagus into the throat. Swallowing may cause the pain to become more intense.
If you have heartburn, you may experience a bitter taste in your mouth. When the acid comes up through the esophagus and reaches the throat, this is when the taste occurs. The taste is often describes as being sour and bitter.
Troubles with swallowing are common for those who have heartburn. This is because food does not properly pass through the esophagus into the stomach. You may feel as though something is stuck in your throat or that you are shocking.
You should, however, see a doctor if you experience this symptom often, as it could be a sign of something worse than heartburn.
Coughing could be an issue if you have heartburn. Many assume they have or are developing a cold when the cough. However, it could be backed up acid trying to get out of the throat. Studies have shown that 41% of cases of chronic cough in people who do not smoke are because of heartburn and GERD.
Symptoms similar to asthma such as difficulty breathing and wheezing can happen if you have heartburn. When excess acid gets into esophagus and finds it way into the lungs, it can make it hard to breathe.
You may feel as though your throat is closing and you try to gasp for air. Since this is a very serious symptom, your doctor may prescribe you a breathing medication.
Symptoms of heartburn are quite tough to identify in children and infants. These symptoms may vary from the typical adult symptoms. In children, it usually exhibits itself with repeated vomiting, coughing, effortless spitting up, as well as other respiratory problems.
Inconsolable crying, refusing food, failure to increase or gain adequate weight, and bad breath are also some of the common symptoms that appear in children. No single symptom is universal to all children that suffer from heartburn.
Babies have immature digestive tract and this is normally the cause, but most infants will stop having acid reflux before they reach their first birthday. However, some will not outgrow acid reflux and will continue to experience it even in their teenage years.
You have just been provided with the most common symptoms of heartburn. Though many do not believe it, heartburn can cause other health problems. If you have these symptoms and think you may have heartburn, see your doctor.
