Difference Between Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Gastroenterology - Endoscopy, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Heartburn, acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are all common digestive problems. However, distinguishing heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD can be quite difficult because they cause similar discomforts.

Heartburn: A highly acidic gastric juice that is secreted a lot, when it flows out into the esophagus, it causes an uncomfortable, burning sensation in the abdomen and spreads to the chest and throat area. Acid reflux: After eating, food will go from the pharynx to the stomach through the esophagus, after reaching the esophagus, the esophageal sphincter will contract to prevent food and gastric juices containing acid from refluxing. When the lower esophageal sphincter becomes weak or loose, acid reflux occurs. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This is a condition caused by chronic acid reflux. Heartburn is the most common symptom of acid reflux, so GERD simply includes heartburn and acid reflux. If GERD is not treated in time, it causes many dangerous complications such as esophageal ulcers, narrowing of the esophageal tube making it more difficult for the patient to swallow food, pneumonia or laryngitis or possibly cancer.

To distinguish heartburn, acid reflux and GERD we can rely on the following symptoms:
2.1 Heartburn symptoms Heartburn usually occurs after a full meal, after dinner People with heartburn often feeling pain in the chest then up to the throat then spreading to the mouth and jaw Symptoms of nausea or vomiting, taste relief Pain that is worse after lying down or sitting down 2.2 Acid reflux symptoms One of the main symptoms The main cause of acid reflux is heartburn, but there are also cases of heartburn but not acid reflux. Acid reflux also has the following symptoms: Bad breath, pain when swallowing food, difficulty breathing, nausea or vomiting... 2.3 Symptoms of GERD (GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease) When you have chronic acid reflux for a long time causes GERD, so if you have frequent acid reflux symptoms for several weeks, you may have GERD.

When the esophageal sphincter relaxes, it allows acid from the stomach to back up into the esophagus. However, the structure of the esophagus is not as resistant to high acidity as the stomach, so it will cause burning and pain. From here we can see the link between heartburn, acid reflux and GERD all have the same cause.
There are also the following causes:
People with stress, depression, obesity and especially are pregnant women Smokers and indirect smokers Having irregular living habits, eating at night or eating close to bedtime. Some other drugs that cause disease such as asthma drugs, high blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, pain relievers, sedatives ...

Your doctor will also recommend the most appropriate treatment after distinguishing between heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD.
Heartburn treatment: Heartburn usually lasts from a few days to a week. Heartburn can be treated at home with easy-to-find ingredients such as drinking aloe vera juice, ginger tea, eating yogurt, eating apples or bananas, if you have chest pain, you should breathe deeply to relax your body. In addition, other drugs can be used to reduce acid production, drugs to reduce acid production.. to reduce heartburn. Treatment of acid reflux and GERD: Take medications to neutralize acids such as Tums, Rolaids, Pepto-Bismol, and Mylanta; acid-reducing agents such as Pepcid, Zantac, and Tagamet. Lifestyle changes such as eating right, avoiding stimulants, and living in moderation are also ways to treat this disease.