1. Heartburn: Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Slideshow Pictures
2. Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the GERD Quiz

Medical Author:

P John Simic, MD

Coauthor:

Vincent W Yang, MD, PhD

Medical Editor:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Persistent heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD.

• Heartburn is a burning pain in the center of the chest, behind the breastbone. It often starts in the upper abdomen and spreads up into the neck or throat.
• The pain can last as long as 2 hours.
• Heartburn is usually worse after eating.
• Lying down or bending over can bring on heartburn or make it worse.
• The pain usually does not start or get worse with physical activity.
• Heartburn is sometimes referred to as acid indigestion.
• Not everyone with GERD has heartburn.

Other symptoms of GERD include the following:

• Regurgitation of bitter acid up into the throat while sleeping or bending over
• Bitter taste in the mouth
• Persistent dry cough
• Hoarseness (especially in the morning)
• Feeling of tightness in the throat, as if a piece of food is stuck there
• Wheezing
  

The most common symptoms in children and infants are repeated vomiting, coughing, and other respiratory problems.

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