Learn about Heartburn symptoms from Consumer Reports Health.

Heartburn

What are the symptoms of GERD?

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you get heartburn at least twice a week, you may have GERD.

Heartburn

Heartburn is the main symptom of GERD. It's an uncomfortable burning feeling that usually starts in the middle of your chest, behind your breastbone, and moves up toward your neck and throat.

Source:
Dent J, Brun J, Fendwick AM.
An evidence-based appraisal of reflux disease management: the Genval Workshop Report.
Gut. 1999; 44 (supplement 1): S1-S16.

Most people with GERD get heartburn at least twice a week.

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Heartburn, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
May 2007. Available at http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/ (accessed on 24 July 2008).

² For some people, heartburn is their only symptom.
On some days, bouts of heartburn may be brief. On others, heartburn may go on for a long time. Sometimes it can last for several hours.
If you have GERD, your heartburn tends to get worse when you bend forward or lie down, or after you eat.

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Heartburn, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
May 2007. Available at http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/ (accessed on 24 July 2008).

²

Source:
Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI).
Initial management of dyspepsia and GERD.
Available at http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=9658 (accessed on 28 July 2008).

³
Another common symptom of GERD is having a sour or bitter taste in your mouth and feeling that food is coming up your throat and into your mouth.

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Heartburn, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
May 2007. Available at http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/ (accessed on 24 July 2008).

²
You may also get bad breath and a dry cough.

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Heartburn, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
May 2007. Available at http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/ (accessed on 24 July 2008).

²

You get the burning feeling when acid from your stomach flows back up into the tube (esophagus) that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. Doctors call this backward flow reflux or acid reflux.

Other symptoms

Here are some of the other symptoms that people with GERD may have. You probably won't have all of these symptoms. Remember that having these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have GERD. To learn more, click on the links.

Warning symptoms

Some symptoms could mean that you have something more serious than GERD. You may need to have tests to find out what's wrong. Warning symptoms include:

Source:
Medical Advisory Panel for the Pharmacy Benefits Management Strategic Healthcare Group.
VHA/DoD clinical practice guideline for the management of adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease in primary care practice.
Veterans Health Administration, Department of Defense, Washington, U.S.A.; 2003.

⁴

Vomiting blood
Black or bloody stools
A feeling that food sticks in your throat when you swallow
Pain when swallowing
Losing weight without trying
Chest pain or choking.

If you have black stools or you are vomiting blood, you could be bleeding in your stomach or your bowels. You may need to have urgent treatment.

Warning symptoms aren't always caused by something serious. However, you'll probably need a test called an endoscopy to see what's causing your symptoms. During an endoscopy, a doctor uses a long tube with a camera on the end to look inside your throat and stomach.

Sometimes warning symptoms are caused by cancer. But this is rare.

Sources for the information on this page:

Dent J, Brun J, Fendwick AM.An evidence-based appraisal of reflux disease management: the Genval Workshop Report.Gut. 1999; 44 (supplement 1): S1-S16.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Heartburn, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.May 2007. Available at http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/ (accessed on 24 July 2008).

Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI).Initial management of dyspepsia and GERD.Available at http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=9658 (accessed on 28 July 2008).

Medical Advisory Panel for the Pharmacy Benefits Management Strategic Healthcare Group.VHA/DoD clinical practice guideline for the management of adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease in primary care practice.Veterans Health Administration, Department of Defense, Washington, U.S.A.; 2003.

This information was last updated on Jan 07, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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