Jaw Pain Can Have Many Causes Including Cancer But Gerd Or Acid Reflux As Well As Clogged Heart Arteries Can Cause Pain In The Jaw

If youre experiencing pain in the jaw, you need to determine if its associated with any particular activities.

Does it hurt only when you chew or yawn?

How about only when you physically exert yourself which would suggest an atypical symptom of blocked heart arteries?

Maybe it occurs within a certain period after eating large meals.

Or maybe it just happens for no known reason.

Jaw Pain Is Strongly Associated With Two Conditions:

Cardiac Problem: Heart Disease or Heart Attack

Coronary artery disease over time.Source: vecteezy.com

TMJ Disorder

Jose Larena/CreativeCommons

A lesser-known cause of jaw pain is GERD or acid reflux.

Chest pain that radiates to the left arm or jaw should be seriously investigated by a heart doctor to rule out angina or a heart attack, says Hugh Mai, MD, Director of Endoscopic Ultrasonography and Bariatric Endoscopy, Gastroenterology Division, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and LifeBridge Health.

Once a cardiac cause is eliminated, acid suppression should be tried.

This can involve taking antacids or taking a medication that suppresses gastric acid.

If either of these is successful in relieving the jaw pain, then the jaw pain may be associated with acid reflux as a referred pain pathway in atypical GERD.

Dr. Maiis well-versed in the endoscopic treatment of GERD. LifeBridge Health provides the Baltimore community and beyond with a wide array of choices in health care services.

Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. Shes also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.

Can Heartburn Cause Back Pain

This is a very interesting question.

In fact, we cant say that heartburn are able to directly cause back pain.

However, this painful manifestation and reflux disease can have a special relationship.

The most important premise is that, in most cases, people who report back pain are affected by real GERD, more than simple reflux, and even less from occasional episodes of heartburn.

This is important because it means that by working well on the root causes of the disease, theres a solid chance to get rid of this symptom.

The relationship between acid reflux and back pain can be quite complicated because of some reasons.

What we considered above is important, because it means that by working well on back pain and/or reflux we can potentially prevent the other condition.

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How Does Heartburn Affect Your Ears

Heartburn is an uncomfortable burning sensation just behind your breastbone. Its caused by digestive acid moving into your esophagus, which is the tube between your throat and your stomach. Heartburn is typically experienced:

• After lying down

If you have frequent heartburn that interferes with your lifestyle, you may have gastrointestinal reflux disease . Two extraesophageal variants of GERD are laryngopharyngeal reflux , also known as silent reflux, and nasopharyngeal reflux . These vary in sensation within your esophagus and other areas of the throat.

Heres a breakdown:

• GERD: backflow of stomach acid that irritates your esophagus
• LPR: backflow of stomach acid that irritates your larynx and pharynx
• NPR: backflow of stomach acid that irritates your nasopharynx

For some people, LPR and NPR can lead to ear pressure and ear pain, often in the form of eustachian tube obstruction .

Each of your ears has a eustachian tube. This is a canal connecting your middle ear to your nasopharynx to equalize the pressure in your middle ear to the air pressure outside your body.

Studies have suggested a connection between ETO and the variants of GERD. According to a 2015 study, LPR and ETO appear together in many cases. A2014 study found that nasopharyngeal reflux may have a role in the development of ETO.

Heartburn Or Heart Attack

What does heartburn have to do with your heart? Nothing, actually!

Despite its name, heartburn or acid indigestion is related to your esophagus. But because the esophagus and heart are located near each other, either one can cause chest pain which is why many people mistake heart burn for angina and vice versa.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Silent Reflux

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux which is sometimes called silent reflux is where acid refluxes up and into the throat where problems arise. Some of the most common symptoms are throat pain, throat burning, chronic cough, sinus issues, chronic mucus, ear problems and more. Read more about the symptoms here silent reflux symptoms.

What Medications Do I Take To Manage The Symptoms Of Gerd

Many over-the-counter and prescription medications relieve GERD. Most of OTC drugs come in prescription strength too. Your provider will give you a prescription for these stronger drugs if youre not getting relief from the OTC formulas.

The most common GERD medications:

• Antacids include Tums®, Rolaids®, Mylanta®, Riopan® and Maalox®.
• H-2 receptor blockers include Tagamet®, Pepcid AC®, Axid AR® and Zantac®.
• Proton pump inhibitors include Prevacid®, Prilosec®, Zegerid®, Nexium®, Protonix®, AcipHex® and Dexilant®.
• Baclofen is a prescription drug used to reduce the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter which allows acid backwash.

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Heartburn Or Heart Attack How To Tell The Difference

Chest pain can be scary. And its not always easy to tell the difference between heartburn and a heart attack especially since heartburn-like symptoms can be from a heart attack. Columbus Batiste, MD, an interventional cardiologist and chief of cardiology at Kaiser Permanentes Riverside and Moreno Valley Medical Centers in Southern California, breaks down the symptoms and details the importance of knowing if youre at risk for heart disease.

What is heartburn?

Heartburn is discomfort or pain that occurs when food and stomach acid back up into the esophagus the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach.

Common indicators of heartburn include:

• A burning sensation in the chest or stomach
• Foul breath and a sour, acidic, or metallic taste in the mouth
• Increased gas or belching
• Coughing, especially when lying down
• Symptoms start after eating or lying down

You should be able to relieve your symptoms by taking an antacid, like Tums or Rolaids, or by drinking a glass of water with a spoonful of baking soda stirred in it. If heartburn is keeping you from sleeping, propping yourself up in bed can help.

Contact your doctor for advice if an antacid doesnt temporarily ease your symptoms, this is the first time youve had heartburn, or your symptoms have changed.

Heart attack signs can vary greatly

• Back discomfort

Silent heart attacks are common

Another cause of chest pain

Risk factors for heart disease

How I Cured My Silent Reflux

Diet

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Gerd Symptoms Not Recognized By Most Acid Reflux Sufferers

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, can have a variety of symptoms we do not typically associate with acid reflux. GERD is caused by a weakness in the lower esophageal sphincter, the muscular valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus. When functioning properly, the LES opens only to allow food and liquids to enter the stomach. However, a loose LES can allow gastric acid to backflow into the esophagus, and heartburn is only one of many symptoms.

Here are some hidden symptoms of GERD that you might not recognize as being caused by reflux:

What Causes Sharp Throat And Ear Pain

By: admin | April 15, 2020

Sharp throat and ear pain can be concerning for those experiencing it, and if you have it, you will want to figure out the cause so you can have peace of mind, as well as come up with an appropriate solution. A cold may be the cause, as this is the most common reason for this specific pain, but it can be due to other underlying things, too. Most of the time, a sore throat will pass in a few days. However, if it doesnt and you find your ears are also hurting, you may want to book an appointment with an ENT to get to the bottom of it.

Symptoms of sharp throat and ear pain may include:

• Mild to severe pain in the back of your throat
• A dry or scratchy feeling in your throat
• Pain when swallowing or talking
• Swollen glands in your neck or jaw
• Muffled hearing
• Feeling of fullness in the ear
• Fluid drainage from ear

You may also find that your symptoms are accompanied by a headache, fever or a general feeling of being unwell.

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Do You Have Lpr: Reaching A Diagnosis

If you think you have LPR, get in touch with an ENT doctor or an otolaryngologist to investigate the nature of your symptoms. You may be recommended to take the following tests:

• Upper endoscopy: Although this procedure is known to diagnose GERD, it can also be helpful in diagnosing LPR. Instead of investigating the esophagus, the examiner can view the upper part of the throat and use physical manifestations of the condition along the throat. You can learn more in our previous post: A Complete Overview of Upper GI Endoscopy.
• pH test: Similar to an endoscopy, a pH monitoring test involves the insertion of a catheter down the nose to detect acid. This can help localize the damage from the reflux, which will determine if you have LPR or GERD.

The Symptoms Of These Two Health Problems May Overlap And Sometimes So Do The Treatments

During your regular after-dinner walk around the neighborhood, you feel a painful sensation in the center of your chest. Could it be your heartburn flaring up again, or something more serious?

Heartburn is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease , often called acid reflux. Acid from the stomach bubbles up into the esophagus, causing a painful burning just behind the breastbone. Not surprisingly, its often mistaken for a heart attack. In fact, of the over eight million emergency room visits for chest pain each year, severe heartburn accounts for over half the cases in which actual heart problems are ruled out.

Chest pain caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart or a heart attack is often described as a feeling of tightness, constriction, or pressure, rather than a burning sensation . But its not always easy to tell the difference. Chest discomfort brought on by exercise is more likely to be a heart-related problem, says Dr. Michelle ODonoghue, cardiovascular specialist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital. But you can also have angina thats not related to physical activity, she notes. If you have any symptoms youre not sure about, see a doctor. And call 911 if you feel chest tightness, have trouble breathing, break into a sweat, turn pale, or become very weak.

GERD and heart disease are both common, and many people take medications to prevent or treat both conditions.

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Should I See An Acid Reflux Doctor

This is not true for the expert GERD surgeon. Her or she is often the best person to see if medications are failing to resolve your symptoms or if you simply prefer not to take PPIs for life. The important most important point here is that the GERD patient must see an expert acid reflux doctor, regardless of specialty.

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What Do I Do If I Think I Have Gerd

With GERD when reflux and heartburn happen more than once in a while the tissue lining your esophagus is getting battered regularly with stomach acid. Eventually the tissue becomes damaged. If you have this chronic acid reflux and heartburn you can see its affecting your daily eating and sleeping habits.

When GERD makes your daily life uncomfortable in this way, call your healthcare provider. Although GERD isnt life-threatening in itself, its chronic inflammation of the esophagus can lead to something more serious. You may need stronger prescription medications or even surgery to ease your symptoms.

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Does Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Cause Tinnitus

Its not clear if GERD causes tinnitus. Some researchers think there could be a connection, at least theoretically.

GERD develops when the tight band of muscle between your stomach and esophagus frequently relaxes and allows stomach acid to leak into your esophagus. In severe cases, it can reach all the way to the throat. When this happens, it is known as laryngopharyngeal reflux .

Your ears are connected to the back of your throat through passageways called your eustachian tubes. These tubes help drain fluid from your ears and regulate pressure.

In people with GERD and LPR, stomach acid can reach the eustachian tubes or middle ear. The high acidity can potentially damage these structures if exposed frequently.

According to .

How Acid Reflux/gerd May Cause Upper Back Pain

Acid reflux back pain is rare.

But to understand acid reflux related back pain we need to understand what causes the pain.

Heartburn is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease and is caused when stomach acid regularly enters the lower esophagus.

The lower esophagus sphincter is a round shaped muscle located at the bottom the esophagus, just before the entrance to your stomach.

The sphincter acts like a one stop valve. Meaning, it opens one way.

As you swallow the sphincter opens to allow food into the stomach then, closes to stop stomach acid escaping back into the esophagus.

Sometimes, the valve-like muscle is too relaxed or weakens and doesnt close fully. This allows stomach acid to flow back up the esophagus and its corrosive effect causes a burning sensation in the chest and sore throat.

Chronic heartburn can cause severe pain that can radiate to the upper back causing pain and discomfort between the shoulder blades.

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Tmd And Gerd Spells Pain

The pain of temporomandibular joint dysfunction can be a lot to manage. Jaw pain thats sometimes intense, head and neck pain, sometimes unexplained ear pain and other uncomfortable symptoms can be hard to live with. But, what about adding GERD on top of it all? A recent study conducted between the Dental College of Georgia in Augusta and the Fourth Military Medical University in Xiang, China has shown that discovered that people with TMD have a great risk of developing GERD than their peers living without TMD. Millennium Smiles in Frisco, Texas, helps manage patients living with the uncomfortable symptoms and side effects of TMD.

What Is The Connection Between Gerd And Ibs

As many as 2 out of 3 people with IBS also have symptoms of GERD. GERD and IBS both impact segments of the digestive tract, but the connection between the two is unclear. Theories explaining the overlap include:

• âPain sensitivity: Both conditions arise when nerves in the gut become over-sensitive . This causes changes in the muscle contractions of the intestines and esophagus.
• âConfusion over symptoms: IBS patients with GERD symptoms may actually have functional dyspepsia . This is a milder form of GERD. Tests such as ambulatory oesophageal pH monitoring can confirm a diagnosis of GERD.â
• The broad definition of GERD: GERD symptoms vary in severity. IBS-like symptoms may be part of the same spectrum of GERD, leading to patients reporting symptoms of both conditions.

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Do You Have Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

Laryngopharyngeal reflux or LPR is a type of esophageal reflux that doesnt involve the tell-tale sign of GERD: heartburn. As a result, patients have a difficult time understanding the nature of their symptoms. In most cases, patients with LPR dont even know they have reflux, which is why the disorder is called silent reflux.

LPR is caused by the same mechanism that triggers GERD. When the lower esophageal sphincter loosens, stomach contents travel back up the esophagus. In this case, stomach acids travel further up the pharynx, reaching the larynx and nasal pathways. As a result, a patient with LPR experiences symptoms like:

• Difficult swallowing feeling of persistent lump in the throat
• Post-nasal drip

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What To Do In A Cardiac Emergency

If you suspect someone youre with is having a heart attack:

• While waiting for emergency help to arrive, help the victim get into a relaxed sitting position, with the legs up and bent at the knees, to ease strain on the heart
• Loosen tight clothing around the neck and waist, and be calm and reassuring that medical help is on the way
• If the victim is conscious, give them an adult aspirin with water

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