Small amounts of acid can reflux into the back of the throat or into the lungs and cause irritation. Hoarseness in the morning, a sour taste, or bad breath may be clues of GERD. Chronic asthma, cough, wheezing, and noncardiac chest pain, (it may feel like angina) may be due to GERD.

Of course, in some cases, chronic cough may be caused or made worse by acid reflux. There are two possible mechanisms to explain this occurrence. The first suggests that a cough occurs as a reflexive action set off by the rising of stomach acid into the food pipe.

Chronic coughing. Constant throat-clearing. Trouble swallowing. Feeling like something is “stuck” in the back of your throat.

While heartburn pain stays in your chest or throat, during a heart attack, a squeezing or aching pressure may spread to your arms, back, or jaw. Other heart attack symptoms include shortness of breath, a cold sweat, and feeling dizzy without warning. Women are more likely to also have an upset stomach or throw up.

Your doctor may perform an esophageal manometry to help diagnose acid reflux. This is a test to assess your esophageal function. It also checks to see if the esophageal sphincter — a valve between the stomach and esophagus — is working as well as it should.

Although chest pain is often a symptom of acid reflux or GERD, do not hesitate to visit the doctor or the emergency room if it seems more serious. Sometimes GERD symptoms warrant urgent attention. A person experiencing any of the following should seek immediate medical care: regular, forceful vomiting.

Barium swallow chest X ray has low sensitivity. However, it is used to identify associated problems with GERD like esophagitis, esophageal erosions, and ulcers. Findings in barium swallow imaging include the following: Free acid reflux.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a digestive disorder that affects the ring of muscle between your esophagus and your stomach. This ring is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). If you have it, you may get heartburn or acid indigestion.

Occasional acid reflux isn’t usually associated with long-term or serious complications. However, when acid reflux occurs frequently and is left untreated, it can lead to conditions such as esophagitis, ulcers, strictures, aspiration pneumonia, and Barrett’s esophagus.