Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (known as GERD) is a condition where the food and liquid a person consumes moves in a reversed manner; it travels back from the stomach to the esophagus. When this happens, individuals with the condition experience a burning sensation in their throat or chest.

Significance

• Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is considered to be a relatively common condition. It is different, however, from GERD. GER arises when the lower esophageal sphincter abruptly becomes exposed to liquids that have been regurgitated from the stomach, for irregular intervals of time, or fails to successfully close causing the contents in the stomach to travel up into the esophagus. The esophagus acts as a transporter, relaying food from the mouth down to the stomach. When it fails to carry out the process correctly, the digestive juices (referred to as acids) come up with the food. Symptoms like this arise when the refluxed stomach acid comes into contact with the lining of the esophagus.

Identification

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the more severe type of gastroesophageal reflux (GER). The two are differentiated by how frequently they occur. When an individual experiences continual reflux symptoms that happen several times per week, they're believed to have GERD. People with GERD also tend to have increased levels of liquid refluxes in the esophagus, as opposed to individuals with sporadic GER.

Causes

• Although the exact cause of GERD is uncertain, it's believed to be a result of different physiological and anatomical factors that inhibit the reflux of gastric juice traveling from the stomach to the esophagus. Such factors include abnormalities in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) functioning and hiatal hernias. The LES of people who suffer from GERD tends to slow down and not play as active a role as it should during the time that the rest of the esophagus is doing its job. A hiatal hernia comes about when the lower esophageal sphincter and upper division of the stomach travel above the diaphragm in where the esophagus routes from the chest into the abdomen. Hiatal hernias develop at the opening of the diaphragm where the esophagus connects to the stomach. The condition becomes symptomatic when the diaphragm fails to block food and acid from receding into the esophagus.

Effects

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease is regarded as a chronic condition; however there are a number of treatments you can use to alleviate its symptoms. Medications such as Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid, Prilosec, Nexium and Reglan are frequently prescribed. A change in diet is also critical, as certain foods can aggravate the condition. Avoiding foods and beverages that contain dairy, alcohol and caffeine are a good idea because they tend to fuel the production of acid in the stomach. Avoid spicy and fried foods as well as smoking; both can exacerbate GERD symptoms.

Prevention/Solution

• Changes in lifestyle can bring a number of benefits; reducing the flare ups and severity of GERD. Some examples are: eating smaller portions throughout the day as opposed to large meals, taking herbs such as anise, fennel, peppermint and hibiscus (which are effective in settling an upset stomach and soothing the throat). Supplements like lipase, amylase and protease can also be beneficial to people who experience acid reflux and indigestion as well. Exercise and relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation can also be helpful. Maintain a healthy diet and overall weight (see Resources below).