What does heartburn feel like?

Heartburn is often described as a burning pain behind the breastbone that moves upward to the neck and throat. Some people can also experience a sour or bitter taste in the throat or back of the mouth, frequent bursts of salty tasting saliva (called water brash), belching and upset stomach and/or vomiting. Not everyone with heartburn experiences the same symptoms. It's also important to remember that not everyone who experiences these symptoms has heartburn.

Heartburn doesn't have to feel this way; complete relief is available, if you ask for it. Ask your doctor what you can do to control your heartburn. Appropriate and effective treatment will eliminate your heartburn. Your doctor can provide you with the most effective treatment tailored to your heartburn problem and eliminate your discomfort and reduce your risk of complications.

It may be helpful for you to keep track of how often and under what circumstances you are experiencing heartburn. Visit our Heartburn Trigger Tracking Tool in the tool section of this channel. This information will be useful to your healthcare professional when considering the most effective treatment for you.

Uncontrolled frequent heartburn, which is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), carries with it a number of complications. These complications can include:

• narrowing of the esophagus (strictures)
• ulcers
• Barrett's esophagus
• esophageal cancer

For more information on heartburn complications, please refer to the "Heartburn complications you can't dismiss" section of the "Stopping heartburn's acid sting" health feature on this channel.