This is a disorder in which the patient can wake from sleep with a sour taste in the mouth or a burning discomfort or pain in the chest (heartburn). The pain is usually substernal, with a feeling of general chest pain or tightness similar to that due to angina. The pain appears to be caused by gastric fluid or contents that have been regurgitated from the stomach into the esophagus and pharynx.

Awakenings from sleep associated with the discomfort can lead to a complaint of insomnia. A chronic, unrelenting disease, it is rarely cured. Lower esophageal sphincter pressures, gastric emptying, peristaltic efficiency of the esophagus, obesity or pregnancy may be predisposing conditions. It is estimated that seven to 10 percent of the general population have daily heartburn and as much as one-third have weekly heartburn. This disorder is more common in those over 40 years of age.