Heartburn is the most common complaint from GERD, but there are other symptoms that include a sour taste, belching, regurgitation, sore throat , hoarseness, laryngitis (remember the Ashley Simpson Saturday Night Live lip syncing story?) painful swallowing, persistent cough, asthma , gingivitis and dental erosion, bad breath , and earaches. The author of Heartburn Cured, Norm Robillard, directly experienced chronic coughing associated with GERD and writes about it in his book. He was prescribed prescription strength acid reducting medicine because the over the counter medication he was taking was not strong enough. Prior to writing the book, he had no idea how common this symptom was and given the pulmonary complications that can arise this symptom deserves special mention. In a recent study of seventy-eight nonsmoking patients of both genders who complained of cough for greater than or equal to 3 weeks, 41% were found to have GERD as a contributing cause. Only asthma (59 %) and postnasal drip syndrome (58 %) were more frequent contributing causes (ref 1). These results are quite amazing and suggests that GERD may be currently under diagnosed due to the variety symptoms, some of which are not recognized or reported, that relate to underlying GERD.

 

References

1. A pathogenic triad in chronic cough - Asthma, postnasal drip syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Palombini,B.C.; Villanova,C.A.C.; Araujo,E.; Gastal,O.L.; Alt,D.C.; Stolz,D.P.; Palombini,C.O. Chest: 116. 79-84.