It’s not unusual for people to have heartburn. That doesn’t mean that a patient or person has gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is better defined as having heartburn on a weekly basis. Initially, patients may treat themselves. If they’re experiencing other symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing or painful swallowing, they may present with a cough and heartburn. If patients have had these symptoms for a long time, they ought to also be seen to evaluate for any precancerous conditions such as Barrett’s esophagus.