Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition in which the stomach acid flows out of the stomach and back up into the esophagus which is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD for short, causes the lining of the esophagus to become irritated as a result of the backwash, or acid reflux. While acid reflux is commonly experienced by many people once in a while, GERD is a condition in which people experience mild acid reflux a minimum of twice a week, or a moderate to severe case of acid reflex on a weekly basis at miniumum. Acid reflux occurs when the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus doesn’t properly close after allowing food or liquid to pass through it into the stomach, resulting in the backwash of liquid into the esophagus. The sphincter may be weak or experience abnormal relaxations that prevent it from being able to properly close.