Hello, johnpaf7,
I see that you aree a weight lifter, which is good.
The symptoms that you describe are suggestive of
GERD (
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). These
symtoms may be associated with a
hiatus hernia.
If a part of your stomach slides up and down through
the hole in the diaphragm, the muscle that separates
the chest and abdomen, that is hiatal hernia. This can
get aggravated by heavy lifting , bending, coughing etc.
What happens is, there is a sphincter barrior at the junction
of the
esophagus and stomach that prevents acid from
backing up into the esophagus. If the sphincter is weak, then
acid can back up and cause pain,
heartburn etc. If you are
experiencing pain when you eat, drink, or swallow, that may
indicate inflammation at the area of the junction. You might even
have some scarring from acid damage and spasm or narrowing.
What you need is to get an x-ray of the esophagus and stomach
first to look for any narrowing or big hiatus hernia. If present, then
you need an endoscopic evaluation by a specialist to get a direct
look and perhaps
biopsy to look for problems.
As for the history of
gallbladder disease in the family, you can get
a sonogram of the gallbladder as a screening test.
There are effective medications to treat GERD which you can discuss
with your doctor after the tests I mentioned above.
I wish you good luck and good health.