How to Identify Symptoms of Ulcer GERD

Gastrosophageal Reflux Disease or better known as GERD affects nearly 40% of Americans. This condition is heartburn at it's worse. When heartburn conditions are prolonged and become very severe GERD is the diagnosis.Here are some ways to help identify the symptoms of GERD.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Is it heartburn or GERD? Typical heartburn symptoms may include bloating, gas, belching, nausea, shortness of breath and/or an acidic taste in the throat and mouth. One of the first symptoms that this is more than heartburn is a burning sensation that's felt traveling from the stomach into the throat. This sensation will go away after a few seconds. This is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter muscle has become damaged or weakened over time. This muscle normally keeps stomach acid from surging upward but when it becomes damaged from prolonged heartburn symptoms it stops functioning properly and this allows the acid to slip past into the esophagus thus causing the burning sensation.

2. Although not all GERD sufferers will experience it, regurgitation is a sign of severe GERD and occurs when the upper esophageal sphincter muscle has been damaged. When the upper muscle does not work properly it allows not only foul tasting acid to come back up, but in some cases food and liquid. Over a prolonged time of this acid erosion of the teeth can occur.

3. Asthma-like symptoms occasionally occur if the acid is being aspirated into the lungs.

4. Feeling nauseated can be a sign of GERD when all other obvious causes are ruled out such as pregnancy or illness. There again not all GERD sufferers will experience this symptom, but in some cases there may be prolonged feelings of nausea. In severe cases this nausea feeling can lead to vomiting.

5. And one of the final things to look for is a sore throat and hoarse voice. These symptoms occur when acid is continually coming back up into the esophagus causing the throat to become inflamed and irritated. If the acid is in the area of the vocal chords this can cause deterioration over time and the voice to become more hoarse. A hoarse voice is very rare.

Tips & Warnings

• Some ways to help avoid or prevent severe heartburn which in turn can lead to GERD:
• Eat fresh papaya and/or pineapple which aid in digestion
• Eat more raw vegetables
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals
• Wait at least three hours after eating to lie down
• Elevate the head of your bed at night
• Mix 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar into a glass of water and sip with meals
• Exercises such as walking, biking or low-impact aerobics can be beneficial
• Avoid stress or anger
• If any heartburn symptoms last longer than 2 weeks see your doctor as this condition can cause serious health problems.

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