Understanding esophageal symptoms: Dysphagia, heartburn, and chest pain

Dysphagia, heartburn, and chest pain are among the most common esophageal symptoms encountered by gastroenterologists. As many as 45% of adults in the United States report one or more upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms annually, 1 of which heartburn accounts for 10%–20%, dysphagia/regurgitation for 8%–16%, and chest pain for 25%. 2–4 Esophageal symptoms significantly impact the quality of life, resulting in missed work days, as well as the impact on social and household activities, leading to an average of 3days each of missed activity over the course of a year. Esophageal symptoms can provide clues to the etiology of esophageal disorders and can help triage diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. Understanding esophageal physiology and pathophysiology allows directed evaluation and precision management of disorders underlying these symptoms. Esophageal symptoms can be categorized into specific patterns: obstructive (dysphagia and regurgitation), perceptive (heartburn and chest pain), and atypical (belching and hiccups).