A spicy dish. A refreshing Margarita, garnished with salt and lime. A plate of crispy, fried calamari. All these foods can trigger a very common condition called acid reflux.

Acid reflux occurs when stomach contents flow backward into the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. When reflux happens repeatedly or causes ongoing symptoms or complications, it may be diagnosed as gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is commonly known as GERD.

Heartburn—a burning sensation behind the breastbone—is the best-known symptom, but it is not the only one. Acid reflux can also cause a sour taste, regurgitation, nausea, upper abdominal or chest pain, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness or a chronic cough, experts say.

Occasional reflux is common, however.

“Acid reflux is such a common condition and that’s why there are aisles at the pharmacy full of over-the-counter medicine to treat it,” says  Morgan Sendzischew Shane, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is a gastroenterologist who is a specialist in motility.

Shane shared the following information about acid reflux: