It has been reported that some patients have been misdiagnosed with Heart Disease, when in fact the correct diagnosis in their specific case was Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD).
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is when stomach acid leaks and moves up the oesophagus and this occurs more than twice a week. Symptoms include heartburn, regurgitation of stomach contents into your mouth, difficulty swallowing, persistent cough, tooth decay and gum disease, laryngitis, bad breath, bloating and burping. As these are non-specific symptoms it can be misdiagnosed as heart disease, gallstones, stomach ulcers, hiatal hernias, oesophageal cancer, gastroparesis and esophagitis. If not treated correctly GORD can lead to oesophageal ulcers, oesophageal stricture (scar tissue formation that narrows oesophagus), barrett’s oesophagus (chronic GORD) which is precancerous.