These aren't minor inconveniences. They're signals that tissue damage is progressing:
- Chest burning that mimics heart problems — crushing pressure, pain down the left arm, shortness of breath. Many people end up in the ER before they realize it's their esophagus.
- A persistent lump in your throat — food feeling stuck, pills scraping, hoarseness, clearing your throat dozens of times a day.
- Nighttime attacks — waking at 2 AM with acid in your mouth, coughing fits, sleeping propped up in a recliner because lying flat is impossible.
- A cough nobody can explain — dry, persistent, worse after meals or at night. Inhalers don't touch it. Allergy meds don't touch it.
- The fear before every meal — scanning menus for "safe" foods, avoiding restaurants, skipping events because you don't know what you can eat.
- The mental toll nobody talks about — anxiety, isolation, the growing sense that your world is shrinking around this condition.