Symptoms of acid reflux

Dear Ask The Doctor: Four days ago I became ill. I had a fever, chills, sore throat, and developed an upset stomach. No nasuea or anything just felt "tight". Everything else cleared up by the next day except the stomach. It constantly feels tight and every now and then i get a sharp pain on top of my stomach to right below my breast bone. I have basically no appetite now and I am being woken up through the night due to this pain. Is this just acid reflux?

Dear Jason: It is difficult to diagnose the cause of your pain, but if it is not relieved by simple analgesia, and if it awakens you through the night from sleeping, then this warrants further investigation. The pain of acid reflux is typically a retrosternal burning pain, worse on an empty stomach, relieved by eating, antacids or dairy products.If your symptoms are not improving, I would advise attending your family doctor for a detailed history of your symptoms and a clinical examination. Your acute symptoms may resolve but if not, you may require further investigation such as an endoscopy which allows visualisation of the upper gastrointestinal tract through a camera lens, to detect any signs of inflammation in the upper GI tract.