Acid Reflux (GERD) in Spanish

What it means

Acid reflux is another name for gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which happens when stomach contents come back up into the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. It happens when the muscle at the end of the esophagus does not close properly, and it may cause heartburn, a burning feeling in the chest or throat. Having reflux once in a while is common. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the more severe, long-lasting condition in which reflux causes repeated, bothersome symptoms or leads to complications over time.

Acid Reflux (GERD) in Spanish

Spanish term: Reflujo ácido
Gender and article: masculine: el reflujo ácido
Pronunciation: reh-FLOO-hoh AH-see-doh

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
reflujo gastroesofágico (RGE)	General	The formal medical name; MedlinePlus en español uses it as its topic title and abbreviates the occasional event RGE.
reflujo gástrico	General	NIDDK's Spanish rendering of "acid reflux": it titles its section "Reflujo gástrico (RGE y ERGE) en adultos" and lists the term among the names doctors use, alongside "acidez" and "reflujo".
acidez crónica	General	Given by MedlinePlus en español as another name for its gastroesophageal reflux (ERGE) topic.
agruras	Mexico	Everyday plural word for heartburn ("acidez estomacal"), the symptom rather than the condition; the singular "agrura" is recorded in Central America, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and parts of the Andes.

"Reflujo" is a masculine noun, and its medical sense in the Real Academia Española dictionary is the backward flow of a body fluid, with "reflujo gastroesofágico" as the example. MedlinePlus en español uses "reflujo gastroesofágico (RGE)" for the occasional event and "enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico (ERGE)" for the chronic condition, and uses "reflujo ácido" when it describes the esophageal pH test.

The abbreviations change between languages: GER becomes RGE and GERD becomes ERGE, so a Spanish-language record that says "ERGE" refers to the disease, not to occasional reflux. "Acidez" and "agruras" name heartburn, the burning symptom, although NIDDK notes that doctors also use "acidez" for reflux itself.

MedlinePlus advises getting medical help right away ("busque atención médica de inmediato") for chest pain with shortness of breath, or pain in the jaw or arm, because these can be signs of a heart problem.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I feel acid coming up into my throat, especially after dinner.	Siento que el ácido me sube a la garganta, sobre todo después de cenar.
Clinician	How many times a week do you have these symptoms?	¿Cuántas veces por semana tiene estos síntomas?
Patient	Almost every night, and I wake up with a sour taste in my mouth.	Casi todas las noches, y me despierto con un sabor agrio en la boca.
Clinician	Do you have trouble swallowing, a dry cough, or a hoarse voice?	¿Tiene dificultad para tragar, tos seca o la voz ronca?
Patient	Is this just acid reflux, or could it be GERD?	¿Es solo reflujo ácido o podría ser la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico (ERGE)?
Clinician	I would like to order an upper GI endoscopy to look at your esophagus.	Quisiera pedirle una endoscopia gastrointestinal superior para examinarle el esófago.
Patient	Do I need to stop eating before the test?	¿Tengo que dejar de comer antes del examen?
Clinician	Tell me which foods or drinks seem to make the burning worse.	Dígame qué alimentos o bebidas parecen empeorarle el ardor.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Acid Reflux (GERD)
Spanish (Español)	Reflujo ácido
Chinese (中文)	胃酸倒流
Korean (한국어)	위산 역류
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Trào ngược axit
Filipino (Tagalog)	Acid reflux
Portuguese (Português)	Refluxo ácido
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	กรดไหลย้อน
Japanese (日本語)	胃食道逆流症

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: K21 → Gastro-esophageal reflux disease

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Digestive system

All terms in this area: Digestive system — Sistema digestivo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.