6 Signs You’re Suffering From Acid Reflux and How to Fix It
Acid Reflux or Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common medical problem. It affects millions of people, and sometimes they don’t even realize that they have it. Moreover, acid reflux can cause other diseases. According to researchers, it may aggravate asthma which is proven by the fact that the majority of asthmatics have GERD.
Bright Side found signs that will help you to diagnose acid reflux.
First of all, you should know, that acid reflux is a long-term condition. Whatever you eat comes back up into the esophagus, and it causes unpleasant symptoms or complications. People with excessive weight, pregnant women, smokers, and those who take certain medicines are at risk of developing it.
So what are the signs and symptoms that indicate you may have GERD? Read on to find out.
1. Acidic taste in the mouth
This condition is normally caused by the muscle or sphincter at the top of the stomach. When it becomes weak, acid rises up into the food pipe. The sour acidic taste can stay for weeks and be very irritating, affecting your quality of life. This problem is especially common among pregnant women because there is more pressure on the stomach.
2. Regurgitation
Regurgitation is a backing up of acid into your throat or mouth. You may experience a bitter taste, a burp, and sometimes even vomit. Regurgitation can happen at any time, but it is especially disturbing at night. You can wake up with bitter liquid in your throat and a feeling of panic.
3. Heartburn
Many people worldwide have heard of heartburn and even experienced it, but hardly any of them think they have acid reflux. Heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD. Symptoms of heartburn are usually burning or discomfort in the middle of the lower chest after eating. The discomfort may increase when bending over or lying flat on your back.
4. Dyspepsia
When experiencing acid reflux you may feel stomach discomfort, which includes nausea after eating, upper abdominal pain, burping, and stomach fullness. Sometimes you can’t even feel hunger and don’t have an appetite because of the feeling of fullness in your stomach.
5. Dysphagia
Dysphagia means that you can feel the sensation of stacked food in your throat. This happens because of a narrowing of your esophagus. When dysphagia happens, it can become a challenge because you can’t swallow, so you may eat not enough calories which can lead to additional medical problems.
6. Coughing
Coughing is not a typical symptom of acid reflux, but at least 25-40 percent of cases are registered with a chronic cough.
Except for those symptoms mentioned above, you can feel less common signs like pain with swallowing, increased salivation, weight loss, throat irritation, bad breath, dry mouth, and chest pain.
How you can avoid acid reflux:
First of all, your lifestyle causes acid reflux. So it is very important to follow simple rules.
- Eat smaller portions. It’s better to eat more often than to have a big meal once or twice per day.
- It is important to avoid alcohol, acid, spice, and fatty foods.
- Lose weight if needed.
- Don’t wear tight clothing.
- Don’t eat before sleeping.
Do you have any symptoms of GERD? How do you take care of your stomach? Leave a comment if our article was useful for you.
Illustrated by Daniil Shubin for BrightSide.me
