Acid Reflux Symptoms in Women
The most common one is the burning sensation that almost all patients accuse. This unpleasant sign is usually described as heartburn but it is not linked with any heart disease. Acid reflux doesn’t affect the cardiovascular system and the disturbing burn is actually felt in the upper abdomen, but it’s hard for a patient to identify and indicate the exact place in which the burning sensation starts.
Acid Reflux Symptoms in Women
As mentioned before, in GERD the acids inside the stomach together with the digested foods are pushed back, reaching the upper digestive tracts. As the acid content makes its way to the throat, it passes through the upper abdominal area, generating not only the typical heartburn but also other common symptoms of acid reflux. One of these signs is the regurgitation, which is more accentuated in pregnant women.
When a woman becomes pregnant, the pressure inside the abdomen starts increasing and forces the organs in the abdominal cavity to compress – this is why acid reflux symptoms in women are pretty frequent. As the uterus keeps growing, the stomach tends to get smaller, but the volume of gastric acid remains the same because this liquid is naturally produced inside the stomach and it can’t be eliminated just like digested foods. So the same acid volume becomes forced to fit a smaller stomach and this causes the unpleasant regurgitation typical for acid reflux.
Both regurgitation and heartburn tend to occur especially after meals, when the stomach is filled with foods that need to be digested. These two signs can be pretty scary for patients that aren’t familiar with the symptoms of acid reflux and they can turn the pregnancy into an unpleasant experience for lots of women. Not to mention that regurgitation is usually associated with a bitter and sour taste inside the mouth, causing frequent vomiting episodes.
Other acid reflux symptoms in women and men include sore throats and difficult swallowing. Sore throat is caused by the movements of gastric acids inside the esophagus and it may trigger an accentuated lack of appetite and as a consequence, noticeable weight loss. Difficulties in swallowing occur when the acid content inside the stomach reaches inside the throat and usually this symptom of acid reflux is associated with a sour taste and voice hoarseness.
Another consequence of regurgitation and sore throat is the persistent coughing that appears when the membrane lining the esophagus gets irritated and painful. Unless any treatment is applied, all these Acid Reflux Symptoms in Women can worsen, leading to various complications.
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