What is the difference between gerd and acid reflux

But what's actually happening inside you? At the entrance of your stomach is the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring of muscle that opens to let food in and closes tight to keep food and acid in the stomach. If this muscle doesn't close all the way or opens too often, acid can flow back into your esophagus, causing heartburn. Acid reflux is the term used when the acid in your stomach backs up or 'refluxes' into the esophagus where it doesn't belong.

The difference between acid reflux and heartburn is that acid reflux is the action and heartburn is the feeling. The movement of stomach acid into the esophagus is acid reflux. The burning feeling caused by this action is heartburn. The most common symptom of acid reflux is heartburn — but it isn't the only one. You may not even experience heartburn when you're suffering from acid reflux. Another common symptom is regurgitation or the feeling of acid backing up into your throat.

This can cause a sour or bitter taste in the mouth. You may also experience a "wet burp" or even throw up. Reflux by itself isn't unusual. GERD, on the other hand, develops when acid reflux happens two or more times a week and produces troublesome symptoms. When mild acid reflux happens more than two times per week or severe reflux happens weekly, you might have GERD. This is a chronic condition that can cause serious symptoms. The acid from this frequent reflux can lead to difficulty swallowing, a chronic cough, tooth damage from acid, and other symptoms.

GERD can often be successfully treated with medication or lifestyle changes, but surgery is sometimes necessary. Your doctor can talk to you about your history and symptoms, rule out other conditions, and determine if you have acid reflux or GERD. Together you can come up with a plan to treat your symptoms and avoid the complications that can come from untreated GERD.

Instead, the study suggests that damage may be caused by an inflammatory response to proteins called cyotokines that are secreted in the intestinal lining of people with GERD. If you have BE, says Hagan, your doctor may recommend surveillance endoscopy, which means he or she will perform an endoscopy periodically to see how well your esophagus is healing, secondary to drug therapy. If you learn to treat GERD with lifestyle changes or medication, you can avoid more serious complications. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: January 12, Medically Reviewed. Avoid foods that trigger reflux for you. Spicy, acidic, and fried or fatty foods are more likely to trigger reflux. So can caffeine and alcohol.