Brief Answer:
Acid reflux is a specific gastric problem

Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. "Gastric problem" is nonspecific, and a general term that can be used as a designation for a variety of stomach disorders. Acid reflux is a specific diagnosis in which a disorder of a valve at the lower esophagus where it empties into the stomach allows stomach acid to move out of the stomach and back up into the esophagus. The movement of the acid back into the esophagus is called "reflux". When this reflux is severe enough, it can even go into the mouth and be aspirated into the trachea and lungs.

Acid reflux can cause severe heartburn and longstanding symptoms can even cause precancerous changes in the cells of the esophagus. People with chronic severe acid reflux need to have an endoscopy periodically to keep a look out for this.

A gastric problem is anything affecting the stomach. This could be acid reflux, gastritis, ulcers, cancer, blockage or obstruction, narrowing of the tube going out from the stomach into the duodenum, or any condition causing a disturbance of the stomach and its normal functioning.

A doctor might ask if you have any gastric problems. If you have any of these conditions, you would answer yes. S/he then may ask you specifically what type of gastric problem you have. Your answer then would be acid reflux (often called gastroesophageal reflux or GERD), or whatever specific condition it is.

In many cases the treatment may be similar. Antacids and drugs like Zantac and Prilosec are used for gastritis, ulcers, and acid reflux, all of which are problems related to acid stomach. Other gastric problems such as an obstruction or cancer have entirely different treatments, including surgery.

Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.

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