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Pressure at base of sternum and upper esophagus

I'm a relatively healthy guy.  Gym, Running, etc.  but within the last year i have slacked off and gained about 20 pounds.  I have also quit smoking about 8 months ago.  I was just getting to feeling better with myself and getting motivated to start working out again.  Then about a week ago I start feeling this pressure in my throat.  It would come and go so i did not think much about it.  Now I get this pressure right below my sternum.  The pressure diminishes when i burp.  But comes back about 2 mins later.  I have been doing research for the past week and seem to think that it's GERD  but I have never had stomach problems in my life.  

Please help clue me.
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Avatar universal
Unfortunately, GERD can strike anyone at anytime, so the fact that you've never had stomach problems before doesn"t exempt you from this condition. Keep reading up on it. You will see that there are many reasons people get GERD. Extra weight is one, along with diet. Certain foods will relax the flap on your esophagus that keeps acid down where it belongs in your stomach, allowing reflux to occur. You may even have a hiatal hernia, which sounds serious, but many people have this condition and don't even know it until they develop GERD. It is basically a condition where your stomach shifts slightly out of place due to injury or extra weight pushing against it, therefore allowing the contents of the stomach to flow back up instead of just downward. No matter why you have these symptoms, get checked out by a Dr. because if you are burning your esophagus, it could permanently damage it.
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Avatar universal
Reporting back in:

Ate some hot peppers and feel fine.
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