The classic acid reflux symptoms — the ones you feel
Burning behind the breastbone, often rising toward the throat. Worse after meals, at night, or bending over. More →
Sour or bitter liquid — sometimes food — coming back up into your throat or mouth without vomiting.
Pressure or ache behind the chest or just below the ribs after eating. What the pain feels like →
A stomach that feels full and tight long after a meal, frequent belching, and queasiness — especially after eating fast.
The sneaky symptoms — "silent reflux"
When acid climbs all the way to the throat and voice box, doctors call it laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Many people with LPR never feel heartburn at all, so they blame allergies or a cold for years.
- Chronic cough, especially at night or after meals
- Hoarseness or a voice that is rough in the morning
- Constant throat clearing and excess mucus
- Lump-in-throat feeling (globus) even when swallowing is fine
- Sore throat that doesn't come with a fever
- Bad breath and a sour taste on waking
- Worn tooth enamel your dentist notices before you do
- Asthma-like wheeze that gets worse after eating
My experience: for years my only "symptom" was a burning I dismissed as acidity. By the time it became daily stomach pain, an endoscopy showed a severe mucosal break where the esophagus meets the stomach. The symptoms were talking — I just wasn't listening. Read the full story →
Symptoms by time of day
Right after eating
Burning, bloating, burping and pressure within 30–60 minutes usually point to meal size and speed. See what causes acid reflux →
At night
Waking with a cough, sour taste or burning means acid is pooling while you lie flat — the classic sign of eating too late. Finishing meals 3 hours before bed and raising the head of the bed helps most people quickly.
In the morning
Hoarseness, throat clearing and bad taste on waking are the signature of night-time silent reflux.
Red flags — see a doctor
Don't self-treat if you have: symptoms twice a week or more; difficulty or pain when swallowing; food getting stuck; unexplained weight loss; persistent vomiting; black, tarry or bloody stools; anaemia; or chest pain that spreads to the arm, neck or jaw, comes with sweating or shortness of breath — treat that as a heart emergency first.
Frequent symptoms mean it's probably no longer occasional reflux but GERD, and untreated GERD can scar the esophagus. A diagnosis is worth it.
What to do next
Most symptoms improve fast once the habits behind them change — here's how to treat acid reflux. If you need relief right now, this is how the medicines compare.
This page shares personal experience and general information. It is not medical advice — please consult your doctor about your own condition.