gastrointestinal disorders
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Symptoms and Signs of GERD
The most prominent symptom of GERD is heartburn, with or without regurgitation of gastric contents into the mouth. Infants present with vomiting, irritability, anorexia, and sometimes symptoms of chronic aspiration. Both adults and infants with chronic aspiration may have cough, hoarseness, or wheezing. Esophagitis may cause odynophagia and even esophageal hemorrhage, which is usually occult but can be massive. Peptic strictures cause a gradually progressive dysphagia for solid foods. Peptic esophageal ulcers cause the same type of pain as gastric or duodenal ulcers, but the pain is usually localized to the xiphoid or high substernal region. Peptic esophageal ulcers heal slowly, tend to recur, and usually leave a stricture on healing. 