One of most common esophageal disorders is gastroesophageal reflux disease

“One of the most common esophageal disorders is gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, which affects up to 100 million Americans,” said Blount Memorial thoracic surgeon Dr. Jason Budde. “It typically is caused by a weakened muscle valve called the lower esophageal sphincter, which would normally keep stomach acid from washing up into the esophagus. This causes heartburn, sore throat, coughing, throat-clearing or even chest pain.
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