Heartburn Symptoms – How Initial Diagnosis is Critical to Your Health

Posted by admin

April 17, 2008

More than 20 percent of the population of the developed countries endures some of the typical symptoms of heartburn at least once a week. Heartburn is also know as acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Heartburn has been a prevalent condition to many people living in the developed countries mainly affected by their diet and lifestyle.

Many doctors and medical care-givers agree that the first diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease or heartburn using a questionnaire on their acid reflux symptoms, which is critical for applying the quickest and most effective treatment for this condition. It is important to be able to discover its symptoms for a quick diagnosis and cure, because acid reflux can lead to a high amount of discomfort and serious complications for some patients.

The most noticeable symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease is often felt in the area of the esophagus as a persistent burning feeling (heartburn). Other typical symptoms are:

1. Gastric matter leading to complications in breathing in certain circumstances, because of regurgitation of gastric contents, meaning the uncontrolled backwards flow of stomach or esophageal contents into the throat.

2. Dysphagia, meaning problems in swallowing or the sensation of food being lodged in the throat.

3. Odynophagia, meaning pain while swallowing.

50 percent all heartburn sufferers say they get sinonasal symptoms at the same time (meaning symptoms concerning the sinuses and the nose), together with the symptoms above.

Another common symptom that GERD patient experienced is intense chest pain which to that of a myocardial infarction and often mistaken as a heart attack. Unlike the symptoms of acid reflux however, cardiovascular chest pain is typically exacerbated by physical exercise. Abnormal symptoms concerning GERD are also chest pain that is spasmodic but non-cardiac, chronic wheezing and coughing (also known as acid reflux related asthma, the result of gastric content being sucked into the area of the lungs), and lung damage, with concomitant respiratory ailments such as asthma and pneumonia.

Acid reflux can further cause problems to the ears (otitis media) and the teeth (decay of the enamel), as well as damage to the vocal cords (hoarseness, laryngitis, cancer).

Also, acid reflux symptoms can show up a serious general lack of internal balance. Neglecting this heartburn condition can cause you for a considerable amount of physical discomfort with the possibility of chronic conditions that can put your health in danger, such as pneumonia and esophageal cancer. The ability to notice these symptoms as relating to gastroesophageal reflux disease is crucial to your health well being and to help to prevent future possible complications.

Once you have confirmed one or more of the heartburn symptoms, you should made an appointment with your doctor for a full medication examination. While a professional doctor can make the right diagnosis at first and often propose relief in the form of antacids, please remember that medication, whether prescription of over-the-counter, only treats the superficial symptoms of your gastroesophageal reflux disease circumstances.

In addition, some drugs such as antacids can lead to various secondary effects. To really cure your heartburn acid reflux problem, you still have to solve the matter in much more effectively, safely and for the long-term by using a holistic approach that treats the internal aspects that are responsible for GERD in the first place.

Click here for more information about 5 step holistic approach to heartburn free diet and lifestyle.