What does esophageal reflux look like? Symptoms of esophageal reflux

Esophageal reflux is also known as gastroesophageal reflux. The symptoms exhibited by patients are different, some are mild and some are severe. The most typical symptoms are acid reflux and heartburn, which are the easiest to ignore. In addition, there is difficulty in swallowing and pain when swallowing.

1. Heartburn and acid reflux

It is the most common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Heartburn refers to a burning sensation behind the sternum or under the xiphoid process, often extending upward from the lower part of the sternum. It usually occurs 1 hour after a meal and may worsen when lying down, bending over, or with increased abdominal pressure. Regurgitation is the rushing of gastric contents into the mouth without nausea or straining. The reflux product of this disease is mostly acidic, which is called acid reflux. Acid reflux is often accompanied by heartburn.

2. Dysphagia and odynophagia

Some patients have difficulty swallowing, which may be due to esophageal spasm or functional disorder. The symptoms are intermittent and can occur with either solid or liquid food. In a small number of patients, dysphagia is caused by esophageal stenosis, in which case the dysphagia may persist and progressively worsen. Severe esophagitis or concurrent esophageal ulcer may be accompanied by dysphagia.

3. Pain behind the sternum

The pain occurs behind the sternum or below the xiphoid process. In severe cases, it may be severe, stabbing pain that may radiate to the back, chest, shoulders, neck, and ears, which is similar to angina pectoris. Most patients develop heartburn, but some patients may not have the typical symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux related to gastroesophageal reflux disease, which makes diagnosis difficult.

IV. Others

Some patients complain of discomfort in the throat, a foreign body sensation, a cotton ball sensation, or a blockage sensation, but no real difficulty in swallowing, which is called globus hystericus and may be related to increased upper esophageal sphincter pressure caused by acid reflux. Reflux can irritate the throat and cause pharyngitis and hoarseness. Aspiration of reflux into organs and lungs can cause recurrent pneumonia and even pulmonary fibrosis. Some non-seasonal asthma may also be related to reflux. In the above situation, if the accompanying reflux symptoms are not obvious or are ignored, the condition will not be cured for a long time due to improper treatment.

(1) Patients with deep gastrointestinal bleeding and reflux esophagitis may have vomiting blood and/or black stools due to inflammation, erosion and ulceration of the esophageal mucosa.

(2) Esophageal stenosis: Repeated attacks of esophagitis cause proliferation of fibrous tissue, eventually leading to scar stenosis, which is a manifestation of severe esophagitis.

(3) Barrett's esophagus During the repair process of the esophageal mucosa, the squamous epithelium is replaced by columnar epithelium, which is called Barrett's esophagus. Barrett's esophagus can cause peptic ulcer, also known as Barrett's ulcer. Barrett's esophagus is the main precancerous lesion of esophageal adenocarcinoma, and its incidence rate is 30-50 times higher than that of normal people.