GERD Symptpms

These include typical (heartburn, regurgitation, dysphagia) & atypical symptoms (coughing, hoarseness, throat pain etc.). To exclude non GERD-related causes for the symptoms, patients are recommended to see throat nose ear (TNE) specialist, pulmologist and cardiologist.

Currently only those with GERD-symptoms are recommended to undergo further diagnosis (endoscopy, manometry, pH monitoring).

Drawback: those with asymptomatic reflux disease at risk for cancer are missed. The majority of those developing GERD-induced esophageal adenocarcinoma are asymptomatic (Lagergren et al., NEJM 1999; 340: 825-831).