Heartburn and other unpleasant symptoms can occur frequently if you suffer from acid reflux. Your Suffolk County, NY gastroenterologists at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates discuss heartburn and other signs of acid reflux and share information on treatments here.
Acid reflux symptoms
If you have acid reflux, you may experience:
- Heartburn: Heartburn causes a burning pain in your chest and upper abdomen and occurs when stomach acids back up into your esophagus. It's called "heart" burn because the pain is usually felt in the chest, but luckily, heartburn doesn't actually affect your heart.
- Regurgitation: Regurgitation occurs when stomach acids back up into your throat or mouth. If you experience the problem, you may notice a bad taste in your mouth and may even vomit a small amount of stomach contents into your mouth when you burp.
- Bloating: After you eat, you may feel bloated or notice that your stomach feels very heavy or full.
- Trouble Swallowing: Acid reflux can cause a lump-in-the-throat sensation or may make it more difficult to swallow.
- Cough and Sore Throat: Those cold symptoms may actually be caused by reflux. Hoarseness, coughing and throat pain often accompany the condition.
Suffolk County gastroenterologists can help ease your acid reflux symptoms
Over-the-counter antacids, H-2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors can reduce acid reflux symptoms, but if your problem doesn't get better or worsens, your gastroenterologist can offer more effective treatments. Stronger prescription-strength proton pump inhibitors, H-2 receptor blockers and other medications may relieve your symptoms. In most cases, taking medications and making a few lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding acidic foods and elevating the head of your bed, will be very effective in easing heartburn and other acid reflux symptoms. If your problem is severe, your doctor may recommend surgery to improve the function of your esophagus.
There's no reason to suffer from acid reflux-related heartburn. Call your Suffolk County, NY gastroenterologists at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates at (631) 289-0300 to find out which treatment options are right for you.