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People often use the terms acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD interchangeably, but actually they’re distinct conditions. This is how we differentiate these things. Acid reflux. A muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter connects the esophagus to your stomach and acts like a door between the two. Normally, it closes right after food passes into the stomach. But if the muscle is weak or can’t fully tighten for other reasons, the acid from the stomach can make its way back up into your esophagus. We call this acid reflux. Heartburn is not really its own condition, but rather a symptom of acid reflux. When the acid creeps up into your esophagus, it can create a painful sensation in the esophageal lining, which is more delicate than the stomach lining. This can feel like burning in the area of the chest, hence the name, or like a sharp, tight pain. More than 75 million Americans experience heartburn on a monthly basis. That’s nearly 25% of the population. GERD, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a little different in that the heartburn and acid reflux are often temporary and caused by something you either ate or drank or regurgitated. Typically more chronic and serious form if the patient experiences this more than two to three times a week, their reflux causes inflammation in the esophagus, which can lead to long term health issues, including esophageal cancer.
