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Heartbeat in throat and alcoholism
Recently I have developed a feeling of my heartbeat in my throat,,,,it like seems to beat the stop for a second and restart with a thud in my chest and throat....I also have at times a hacking dry cough....I am an alcoholic that smokes and am getting worried that poor lifestyle has finally taken a toll on my health and heart....I have no health insurance and now live every minute worrying if I am going to just drop dead.....please help!
I don't know if you have Gaviscon where you live? a pink coloured liquid for acid problems? It's cheap and available over the counter. I would give this a go for a few days before thinking the worst.
From your symptoms, it sounds like Esophagitis. I had this recently and it is certainly aggravated by alcohol. I also developed a dry cough, which turned into a wet cough during eating. The pain can be sharp and feels like it's in your throat or chest. You need some anti-acid medication to reduce the acid levels in your stomach. The sphincter at the top of the stomach, which connects the food tube (esophagus) to your stomach, has become weak through ageing or acid from the stomach. In turn the acid travels up the esophagus and causes inflammation and lots of discomfort. This tube is not designed to handle acid like the stomach.
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