Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - Symptoms

Symptoms

The main symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) include:

• Persistent heartburn. Heartburn is an uncomfortable feeling or burning pain behind the breastbone. It may occur after eating, soon after lying down, or when bending forward. Antacids, or nonprescription medicines that reduce or block acid, may relieve the pain. These include H2 blockers (for example, Pepcid) or a proton pump inhibitor (for example, Prilosec OTC). Heartburn caused by GERD is usually felt within 2 hours after eating. If your heartburn lasts for several hours—for example, all night—you may have severe GERD.²
• A sour or bitter taste in the mouth. The backflow of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus may be severe enough to cause a sour or bitter taste in your mouth. This often occurs along with heartburn, but in some cases it may be your only symptom.
• Water brash. Acid reflux can sometimes cause you to produce excessive saliva. This can be unpleasant and is called water brash.

If these symptoms occur more than twice a week, you may have GERD. Many people have occasional heartburn or a sour taste in the mouth. These instances are not considered to be GERD.

Some people have GERD without heartburn. Chest pain, hoarseness in the morning, trouble swallowing, the feeling that you have something stuck in your throat, or a dry cough can also be signs of GERD.

Other symptoms or complications of GERD may include:

• Difficulty swallowing. This is more common with advanced GERD.
• Chest pain. This may be a dull, heavy discomfort that spreads across the chest. This chest pain may occur with heartburn and may be confused with the pain of a heart attack. For more information on chest pain and heart attack, see the topic Chest Pain.
• Nausea, often in the morning.
• Certain ear, nose, and throat problems. These may include laryngitis, sore throat, frequent throat clearing, a sensation that there is swelling in the throat area, and hoarseness.
• Certain lung and breathing problems, such as coughing, wheezing, frequent pneumonia, permanent widening and damage to the air passages in the lungs (bronchiectasis), and chronic asthma. GERD may worsen symptoms of asthma in people who have this condition. For more information, see the topic Asthma in Teens and Adults.

Some infants who have GERD may not gain weight as expected and may develop more slowly (failure to thrive), or they may have respiratory problems.

There are many other conditions with symptoms similar to GERD, such as peptic ulcer disease, Schatzki ring, or an infection of the esophagus.