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Overview

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), commonly called chronic heartburn, can significantly impair a person's quality of life. Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart; symptoms are caused by stomach acid that backs up (refluxes) into the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. The muscle that separates the stomach and esophagus (called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) acts like a one-way valve: it remains closed until swallowing forces it to o...Read the full article