Gerd And Anxiety

Four weeks ago I had a bad cold. One week later I started having pain in my upper throat and a feeling of a lump in the throat. I thought that it will simply go away but it didn't. I started to feel pain in my chest and some friend of mine told me that I might have GERD. What is GERD? Is it possible that this condition is related with my anxiety? Thanx

GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is the irritation of esophagus (throat) by acid fluid from the stomach. It is often called "heartburn" because the sensation is usually located in the chest area. This disease is also known as pyrosis or acid reflux disease. Stomach acid refluxes back up through the esophagus and spills over in the larynx. Symptoms of GERD are raw, burning sensation in the throat; dry, choking sensatinos especially during the night; pain in troat and neck; soar taste in the mouth in the morning; bad quality of the voice in the morning etc. If left untreated GERD can cause tissue damage and even cancer of esophagus, according to some studies. Severity of the GERD can range from mild to extreme pain and it is often mistaken for a cardiac disorder. Coughing and troat clearing from the irritation can make the inflammation even worse. Treatment for GERD involves anti-reflux medications and dietary program. To reduce symptoms of GERD you can eat smaller meals throughout the day, avoid tight clothes around the waist, don't eat dinner too late etc. When it comes to anxiety disorders GERD may indicate a CCK imbalance that can be treated with benzodiazepine and carafate.

I KNOW THAT I HAVE ACID REFLUX AND I ALSO HAVE REALLY BAD ANXIETY ATTACKS WHERE MY HEART PUNDS AND I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE FLUE ALL THE TIME SOMTIMES I CANT EVEN EAT. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF ALL THAT GAS OR REFLUX IN MY CHEAT CAUSES HEART SKIPPING?