Your esophagus is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) happens when a muscle at the end of your esophagus does not close properly. This allows stomach contents to leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus and irritate it.
You may feel a burning in the chest or throat called heartburn. Sometimes, you can taste stomach fluid in the back of the mouth. If you have these symptoms more than twice a week, you may have GERD. You can also have GERD without having heartburn. Your symptoms could include a dry cough, asthma symptoms, or trouble swallowing.
Anyone, including infants and children, can have GERD. If not treated, it can lead to more serious health problems. In some cases, you might need medicines or surgery. However, many people can improve their symptoms by:
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
Information pulled from the GERD page.
MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
National Library of Medicine
National Library of Medicine
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Radiological Society of North America
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
National Institutes of Health
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
Medical Encyclopedia
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
More than one billion individuals worldwide experience digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) problems, including acid reflux, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and many[…]
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