The symptoms of acid reflux are often not severe and serious; however, when they attack, they can cause pain and discomfort. GERD or more commonly known as acid reflux is a condition that takes place when the tube used in the transport of food to the stomach from the throat isn't strong enough to handle the acid, produced, stored, and used by the stomach to digest the food we eat. The stomach walls are originally built with enough strength to handle production and storage of acid without damaging any part of the system.

One of the very first and most common symptoms of acid reflux is heartburn, which occurs when the acid produced by the stomach to digest the food we eat flows back to the esophagus. This is normal though as it can be experienced by everyone once in a while; however, if the symptoms of acid reflux occur more frequently and can't be relieved by medications, you may be positive of acid reflux. The symptoms of acid reflux may be relieved and prevented by making some changes in your diet but if this still doesn't work, you should seek immediate medical attention.

The symptoms of acid reflux are experienced when the lower oeasophageal sphinter fails to block or stop the acid from flowing back from the stomach to the esophagus. When this occurs, the chest experiences burning sensation and pain. This condition is called heartburn.

The following are the other symptoms of acid reflux:

1. Chest Pain or Burning Sensation in the Chest - starting from the sternum or from behind the breast bone, the pain or burning sensation may run up and be felt at the throat. People often experience this symptom after they eat a meal. The pain may stay for a few minutes to a couple of hours.

2. Sour or bitter taste in the mouth - a person will have a sour or bitter taste in the mouth when the stomach contents are pushed back to the esophagus and to the back of the throat.

3. Dysphagia - also known as difficulty with swallowing occurs when the food could not normally pass to the stomach through the esophagus from the throat. You are experiencing dysphagia if you feel like the food you eat could not pass through the throat, you feel like you are about to choke, you have burning sensation after eating, or chest pressure. Dysphagia is one of the known symptoms of acid reflux but it is also a known symptom of esophagitis and esophageal cancer. Therefore, it is important to seek medical help when you always experience dysphagia.

4. Coughing - research shows that GERD accounted for almost 40% of cases of chronic cough in patients who do not smoke. Coughing occurs when the stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus and is inhaled.

5. Asthma-related symptoms like wheezing - being one of the most common symptoms of acid reflux, it has been studied that 60% of people with asthma also have acid reflux, which can cause wheezing and other asthma-related symptoms when the stomach acid refluxed into the esophagus is aspirated into the airways and lungs. This makes it hard for a person to breathe. As a result, the person tends to wheeze and cough.