Heartburn tends to be the most frequent symptom, along with a feeling of regurgitation of acid. You can also, in the more advanced stages of GERD, develop difficulty swallowing. This typically comes from scarring of the end of the esophagus in the formation of what is called a stricture that can block food from going from the esophagus into the stomach. There are occasionally symptoms that are manifested in the throat. These typically include hoarseness. Patients may present with asthma-like symptoms, wheezing and also a chronic cough.