your stomach needs acid to help your body digest food. stomach acid is made by tiny acid pumps in the cells that line your stomach. if your body makes too much acid or cannot protect itself against a normal amount of acid medical problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease can happen. gerd happens when acid in your stomach backs up into the tube (esophagus) that connects your mouth to your stomach. stomach acid can damage (erode) the lining of your esophagus. some symptoms of gerd are heartburn sour taste in the back of your throat and burping.
what is gerd?