Is Your Heartburn Actually GERD? (A Survivor's Story)

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For more than ten years, I lived with a burning chest that I brushed off as nothing more than stubborn heartburn. A chalky tablet here, an extra pillow there, and I thought I was managing just fine. The truth was different. I was ignoring a disease that affects nearly one in five adults in the United States and more than 800 million people worldwide. My wake-up call came in the form of blood in my stool, a moment that not only revealed colon cancer but also forced me to face the reflux that has been plaguing me for so long.

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is not just about spicy food or a restless night after pizza. It is a chronic condition that can scar your esophagus, rob you of your voice, and in rare but real cases, pave the way toward cancer. Looking back, I see the warning signs that I missed: regurgitating food out of nowhere, coughing at night, losing my voice while singing to my son. One terrifying evening I felt food lodge in my throat after eating rice to quickly. I could still breathe, but panic hit me hard. At the time, I chalked it up to eating to fast. In reality, it was GERD shouting for attention.

Heartburn, Reflux, and GERD: Where the Line Gets Crossed

Most people have heartburn now and then. It is that burning, uncomfortable pain after a heavy meal. Reflux is the simple mechanical backflow of stomach contents into the esophagus. GERD is different. It is when reflux happens often enough to cause injury or at least two troubling episodes a week. Doctors draw the line there because the damage is not just short-term discomfort. It is cumulative, like water slowly carving away stone.

A 2019 Cedars-Sinai study surveying over 71,000 Americans found that almost a third reported reflux symptoms in the previous week. Globally, the number of people with GERD has risen by more than 70 percent since 1990. This is no longer a condition limited to middle age. Younger adults, even those in their thirties, In my case I was in my 20s, are being diagnosed in record numbers.

Why GERD Happens: More Than Acid

The common myth is that GERD comes from too much acid. The truth is more mechanical. At the base of the esophagus sits a small muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES. It should act like a one-way valve, letting food in but not out. In GERD, that valve weakens or relaxes at the wrong times. Pressure builds in the stomach, and the contents surge upward. The burn you feel is less about an acid storm and more about a barrier that has failed.

Several factors pile on. Obesity raises intra-abdominal pressure that squeezes acid toward the esophagus. A hiatal hernia disrupts the natural architecture of the LES. Pregnancy creates the perfect storm of pressure and hormonal relaxation of the valve. Even slow stomach emptying, known as gastroparesis, gives acid more time to push upward. Each factor bends the system until it breaks.

Everyday Triggers That Make It Worse

Once the barrier is compromised, everyday habits fan the flames. Coffee, alcohol, chocolate, peppermint, and high-fat meals relax the LES. Citrus, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and spicy foods irritate already inflamed tissue. Large portions and lying down too soon after eating load pressure onto the stomach, while smoking reduces saliva and further weakens the valve. A night of pizza, beer, and bed might be a college tradition, but it is also a perfect storm for GERD.

I learned this through painful trial and error. Certain foods stole my voice, others had me coughing into the night, and a few had me clutching my chest in fear. What I dismissed as quirks were actually textbook symptoms.

Red Flags You Cannot Ignore

Not all reflux is harmless. The big red flags include difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool, or black tarry stools. These require immediate medical attention. They can signal severe GERD complications like strictures, ulcers, or even Barrett’s esophagus, a precancerous condition. For me, it was blood in the stool that forced me to the doctor, uncovering not only GERD but also colon cancer. Do not wait for a crisis to act.

What Happened When I Changed

After ignoring my reflux for over a decade, I finally made real changes. This was part of a cancer prevention diet with a happy side effect of curing my GERD. But more on that next week.

Part two of my journey will dive into the exact steps I took to cope with GERD and then how I eliminate it and how you can apply them. For now, remember this: GERD is not just heartburn. It is a disease of modern lifestyle, and the solution is not found in a pill bottle but in the choices you make every day.

This article shares personal research and experience; it is not medical advice.

Sources

#	Source & Brief Descriptor	Link
1	MedlinePlus — GERD overview and definitions.	Link
2	Cedars-Sinai (2019) — Acid reflux prevalence in U.S. adults.	Link
3	Frontiers (2025) — Global prevalence of GERD 1990–2021.	Link
4	Cleveland Clinic — Barrett’s esophagus and GERD complications.	Link
5	Johns Hopkins Medicine — Lifestyle changes for reflux control.	Link