The terms heartburn, acid reflux, and gerd are often used interchangeably they actually have very different meanings acid reflux is a common medical condition that can range in severity from. Heartburn vs acid reflux symptoms. Sometimes acid reflux progresses to gerd, a more severe form of refluxthe most common symptom of gerd is frequent heartburn —two or more times a week other signs and symptoms can include regurgitation of food or sour liquid, difficulty swallowing, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain — especially while lying down at night.
heartburn vs acid reflux symptoms